THUNDER BAY - The number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge in the district, including the number of hospitalizations, which is creating a very tenuous situation at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
“The hospital is very fragile right now regarding the capacity,” said Dr. Stewart Kennedy, incident manager of COVID-19 with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “Capacity right now is over 90 per cent and we have to make room for more COVID patients coming in.”
After the reopening of the COVID-19 unit at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre only 10 days ago, the number of patients admitted has risen to 22, with six individuals in the intensive care unit.
“I am significantly concerned about these numbers increasing both in the hospital and in the community,” Kennedy said.
“They are coming in sicker. We are in a more severe situation than we ever have been before. Not to panic. We are here to take care of the needs but we still need the public’s help more than ever to make sure they are keeping their bubble very small, social distancing, and wearing their mask because this is getting to be an impending significant problem and we need the cooperation of the public.”
According to Kennedy, the number of admissions to the COVID-19 unit fluctuates, with some patients expected to be released soon, though there are more expected soon who are being assessed.
“We have a number at our doorsteps in the emergency department to be deployed to the COVID unit,” he said. “Not all have to be admitted. They are just coming in to get assessed and hopefully we can discharge them and into the hands of public health to receive appropriate follow-up.”
The COVID-19 unit currently has 16 beds available, all of which are occupied, and has the capacity to expand to 21 beds.
“If that 21 is showing full capacity, we have to open up more beds down the hallway on 3A,” Kennedy said. “We still have capacity. Each time we add more to COVID-19 it takes away from our surgical capacity.”
The ICU capacity at the TBRHSC is 22 beds and there are a total of 18 patients in the ICU, including the six COVID-19 patients.
No surgeries have been cancelled yet and all emergency and cancer treatment surgeries will continue to go ahead, but Kennedy said some elective surgeries might have to be put on hold.
“At this time, because of our well over 90 per cent capacity, our surgical team is looking at all surgical procedures on the list this week and next week,” he said.
“At this point in time there have been no cancellations. But certainly we expect we will have to begin to decrease the number of elective surgeries. We are looking at everything right now to make sure we maintain capacity for all sick patients.”
As the hospital works to maintain capacity, the other concern remains the human resources side. Kennedy did not have a specific number but did say there are always some staff members who are off work due to testing positive for COVID-19 or potentially being exposed to the virus.
“If this COVID continues to increase in the community and certainly our health care workers and are part of the community and get exposed at home or by loved ones, they will have to be off work,” he said.
“We only have so many nurses in our operating room or ICU room. That is why we are so rigid in our rules. Once that happens it will be a significant uphill climb.”
To avoid the situation getting worse, Kennedy is asking the public to do its part in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
“At this point in time more than ever we need the cooperation from the public,” he said. “We will get over this like we have in the past. But I think it’s going to get a little more severe before it gets better.”
