Nova Scotia Health is warning people that the emergency room at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center in Halifax is experiencing “extremely high” patient volume.
In fact, anyone accompanying someone to the QEII emergency room is asked not to wait with them, the health authority said in a tweet Monday afternoon.
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“As we continue to see new patients, our waiting room is full, so we ask anyone accompanying an emergency patient not to wait with them unless it is essential to their care,” the tweet read.
Those who stay are asked to save seats for patients who need them.
“As always, patients will be cared for according to their classification level,” NSH wrote. “Unfortunately, patients can expect long waits for care. We apologize for these conditions.”
The notice comes on the same day the province revealed it will lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions this week. Starting Wednesday, isolation for those who test positive for the virus will go from mandatory to “strongly recommended.”
The criteria for testing will also be stricter. Those without symptoms will no longer be tested, and those with symptoms but in a low-risk category will only have access to rapid testing.
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Labor shortages in the health care sector, as well as COVID-related work stoppages, have forced emergency rooms to close and led to long wait times in the Maritimes.
In Nova Scotia, nurses across the province have been demanding action to address chronic staffing shortages that they say have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nova Scotia Nurses Union says there are about 1,400 openings for registered nurses and 250 open places for licensed practical nurses.
Healthcare pressures are ‘complex’
Asked Monday whether lifting restrictions would increase infections and put more pressure on the health care system, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang said he did not anticipate it would have a major impact “in and of itself.” .
“What we will be looking at is other provinces starting to see some sort of increase in these latest BA4 and 5 variants,” he said.
“The pressures on our hospitals and emergency departments are complex and multifactorial. COVID would just be one of those. But we’re certainly aware of the role our COVID response plays in that.”
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Responding to the province’s announcement that it would lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions, the NDP’s health critic said Monday that the change will “understandably” worry Nova Scotians.
“When most restrictions were lifted in March, we saw increased demand from outpatient clinics, emergency departments and hospitals,” Susan Leblanc said in a statement.
“Today, we’re hearing about people bringing lawn chairs to wait for the emergency care they need, hospital units running short, and people waiting hours for paramedics. The health system is reaching a critical breaking point; For many people who work in health care or who are trying to get care, things just keep getting worse.”
— with an archive from The Canadian Press
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