Influenza and influenza-like illness are main drivers behind a high numbers of patients at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
The health authority is overcapacity with about 340 patients at NRGH, according to Island Health. The number is down from Jan. 4, when it saw the highest number of patients on site at one time, ever.
There were 372 people, surpassing a previous patient record from last winter of 364.
Val Wilson, Island Health spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that the current capacity load is mainly do to influenza and influenza-like illness and as a result of patient volumes, some overflow areas have opened up and infection control continues to be worked with to safely manage patient load. Patients are never turned away, she said, and the goal is always to deliver “high-quality care in an environment of continuous improvement.”
“When at overcapacity, all units take on an additional two or three patients and we look at early discharge, where appropriate and with appropriate supports in place,” she said. “During these very busy times, we do at times have to temporarily care for patients in areas such as a hallway – hallway care is only temporary while patients are in transition to units or awaiting the inpatient bed process to be completed.”
Dr. Drew Digney, executive medical director for Nanaimo, Oceanside and Alberni-Clayoquot, said the heaviest capacity area in the hospital is in medicine, which he said correlates with the flu. Last year and the year before were lighter than usual in terms of numbers and severity of the flu. He said he’s heard from medical health officers this one is quite contagious so it’s spreading quickly, “meaning we’ll have an intense but shorter season.”
He said they are doing everything they can not to have capacity levels affect patient care.
“I think as you can imagine, even in your own life, that running at more than 100 per cent of anything there’s always some built in inefficiencies so what will happen is things just tend to take a bit longer than they would normally,” he said.
At NRGH’s emergency room, he said they ensure there’s the capacity to see patients coming in the door with a stretcher or two for people who need it, but with emergency volumes being high, there are higher-than-average waits. There have been wait times of three or four hours to see physicians, he said.
Island Health recently reminded residents in a press release to do their part to ensure they are using emergency departments appropriately and gave tips for avoiding unnecessary trips to emergency such as getting a flu shot, washing hands frequently to avoid getting sick and spreading germs, to see doctors before the weekend or holidays and becoming familiar with walk-in clinics and their hours of operation.
