MINDEMOYA—It appears that the emergency department at the Mindemoya Hospital will be staffed as usual without any imminent closures for the next few weeks. This despite the number of patients visiting emergency departments at both Manitoulin hospitals (Mindemoya and Little Current) spiking significantly recently due to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
“COVID rates are very high everywhere and we are encouraging everyone to get their flu and booster shots and to mask up,” said Dr. Maurianne Reade, president of professional staff at the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) last Thursday.
Dr. Reade explained, “On many days the number of people presenting to the emergency departments are some days approaching summer numbers. There is a lot of illness out there. However, the patience of our patients is showing and appreciated because there are often long time periods before a patient can be seen.”
As for staffing of the emergency departments, “I would say all shifts have been filled for January, and close to that for all of February,” said Dr. Reade. “So, there are not any imminent closures of the emergency department (in Mindemoya). We have been able to get locums to help fill the gaps.”
Paula Fields, president and chief executive officer of the MHC told The Expositor, “We will be okay in the emergency departments (at both hospitals) until the end of March if everything stays the way they are right now. Yes, we have received support (for bringing in locum doctors).”
However, “There is definitely a risk,” said Ms. Fields. “The (temporary) locum payment stipend program (through the province) is done at the end of March. The ministry (of health) has talked about providing a sustainable solution, but there has been no indication on that so far. And physicians plan ahead, some (locums) have already made their plans for June. So that is putting us at possible risk. We don’t know where that puts us in the spring.”
Dr. Reade noted as well the importance of local residents getting their flu and booster shots. “As of January 12, only 16.2 percent of all those eligible six months and over have received their booster shot, and for those 18 and over it is only 19 percent in our region.” “These are the type of things that influence how many people get sick. That is why we are encouraging everyone to get their flu and booster shots and to mask up in public gathering places.”
