COVID-19: Some Adults Admitted to Saskatoon Children’s Hospital as ICUs Fill Up | The Canadian News

Saskatchewan hospitals are on the brink as the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to some healthcare professionals.

Now, ICUs are at capacity with patients, forcing those on the front lines to make difficult decisions. The latest increase could be putting some of the province’s most vulnerable patients at risk, a doctor said.

In Saskatoon, some adult patients receive care at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, which is the only pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the province.

The children’s hospital is being used for some adult patients “to support the lawsuit in Saskatoon,” according to an email from the Saskatchewan Health Authority to Global News.

“This is part of the work we do at the provincial level to manage capacity and ensure the appropriate level of care,” the email read.

One doctor said that means fewer resources for children.

“Given the current state of affairs, it is almost inevitable that there will be a small number of children who will need intensive care support,” said Dr. Alexander Wong, an infectious disease specialist.

“It’s hard to say whether or not there will be (support) there when we have adults filling those beds right now.”

Wong said Saskatchewan hospitals are also struggling with enough healthcare professionals on the front lines, forcing them to make these tough decisions about where patients are treated.

He said he worries about where he will go next.

“We’re not going to have enough critical care capacity for everyone, and then obviously we’ll have to start making decisions again about who gets optimal care versus who gets suboptimal care versus who gets care at all,” Wong said. .

He added that the Saskatchewan government needs to impose restrictions on public gatherings and increase the province’s testing capacity.

Meanwhile, Wong said the simplest way the public can help is by staying home.

“Delta is increasing right now; there is no intensive care capacity. Just don’t do anything that basically leads to a situation where you’re going to need ICU care, ”he said.

He said that the best way to protect children under 12 is to get vaccinated, something that the province repeats.

As of Tuesday there are four children under the age of 11 in the hospital with COVID-19, according to the province. None of those children are in ICU.

The health ministry said evidence shows that children with underlying medical conditions and babies younger than 12 months may be at increased risk for COVID-19 infections.

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