The noose is tightening in the hospitals of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. The union of healthcare professionals fears that we will have to move to the next level of load shedding due to the lack of personnel.
The last weekend would have been particularly critical at the Chicoutimi hospital. According to the union, it would have been necessary to open eight additional beds for patients with COVID-19 who presented to the emergency room. However, that would have been impossible.
“There is a huge need to open beds in certain facilities, including Chicoutimi. But we are incapable, for lack of healthcare professionals, ”says Julie Boivin, regional president of the Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ).
The outbreaks underway in hospitals in the region are not helping the situation. Half of the hospitals in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean are grappling with outbreaks in departments. This is the case in Jonquière, Chicoutimi and Alma.
At Alma hospital, a hot zone is being set up on the third floor of the establishment to separate positive patients from those negative for the virus.
This is also what the union of healthcare professionals has been asking for two weeks to avoid an outbreak.
The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Integrated University Health and Social Services Center (CIUSSS) aims to install 14 beds for patients with COVID-19 in Alma. However, the lack of employees is likely to be a problem. The CIUSSS has confirmed that it is looking for “human resources”.
“There aren’t many solutions. I believe that we are going to move towards even more dramatic load shedding to seek care professionals. There won’t be any bus of healthcare professionals coming. We will have to go and look for it inside the walls, which involves heartbreaking choices. There will have to be more offloading to take the resources that there are currently and concentrate them in critical places, ”worries Julie Boivin.
Daily check-up
The latest daily report shows 53 hospitalizations, including 7 in intensive care. One more death has also been added, bringing the number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 283.