Key Takeaways:
- In Manitoba, COVID-19 has already caused a record number of hospitalizations, with hundreds more expected in the coming weeks.
- According to the COVID-19 update from Friday, the virus has infected 517 Manitobans, up 18 from the day before.
- According to a Shared Health spokesperson, the health system had 1,444 medicine beds available on Thursday, with 157 beds vacant.
COVID-19 has already resulted in a record number of hospitalizations in Manitoba, with hundreds more predicted in the coming weeks.
Dr. Renate Singh is concerned that we’re heading for an emerging mass casualty situation after the Public Health Agency of Canada published its prediction for the Omicron wave, which predicts close to 200 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per day.
Dr. Renate Singh, an anesthesiologist with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Shared Health, stated, “It’s not like we didn’t know that, but it’s surprising and sobering to see it on paper.”
She claims it reframes the message delivered to Manitobans at provincial news conferences this week.
Also read: In Manitoba, COVID-19 hospitalizations are reaching 500
She told CTV News on Friday, “I don’t think this kind of image was stated enough in the clarification of our current provincial condition.”
According to the COVID-19 update from Friday, there are 517 Manitobans in hospitals with the virus, up 18 from the day before.
Discharges may offset the PHAC prediction, but they’re also compounded by people requiring hospital care for other purposes or people who have been discharged but need to return to the hospital, according to Singh.
“I’m afraid we’re doomed to be in a pickle in terms of caring for everyone who needs us,” Singh said.
According to Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba, part of the anxiety doctors have is not realizing what the scheme is for when the hospital system runs out of beds.
“I’m concerned about scenarios where we’re dealing with a crisis standard of care,” he said.
Singh expressed similar sentiments, noting that the Grace Hospital ER has recently seen double the number of patients it was designed to accommodate. She said she and her coworkers discussed what might happen if there isn’t enough space for everyone.
“How are they going to get there?” Is there a field hospital that we haven’t been informed about yet? “Are they going to reclaim every nook and cranny?”
In January, the Omicron wave is expected to peak, according to PHAC modeling.
Dr. Singh stated that Manitobans must do everything possible to avoid becoming infected during this critical period, prolonging the pandemic and its impact on the healthcare system.
According to a spokesperson for Shared Health, there were 1,444 medicine beds available across the health system on Thursday, with 157 beds vacant.
“As a reminder,” the spokesperson stated in a written statement, “capacity can fluctuate daily based on the patient demand and staffing levels.” “While these numbers give us a view of total capacity, we should note that medicine beds vary across the system in terms of patient acuity which can be handled and the level of care that can be provided.” The facility’s ability to care for patients is contingent on the services available.”
According to the spokesperson, in Manitoba, 23 patients were enrolled in the Virtual COVID Outpatient Program, which enables COVID-19 patients to heal at home rather than in a hospital.
Twenty of the patients were receiving oxygen treatment at home, while the remaining three were no longer in need of oxygen but were still being supervised to make sure they were on the road to recovery.
Source: CTV News
Get Canada and Manitoba’s top News, Market news, and other worldwide news only on Manitoba Daily.
