Bed closures temporary, common during summer: AHS
Alberta Health Services says some acute care beds and emergency departments are closed across the province as staff take much-deserved vacation.
After recent closures, unions representing health-care staff said doctors and nurses are exhausted from the pandemic, and the Opposition NDP worried Albertans would not receive appropriate care.
On Friday, AHS assured the public nearly 99 per cent of its 8,513 acute care beds and 1,221 emergency departments are open, and the few closures are only temporary as staff take time off.
"The short-term, temporary bed closures have limited impact on our ability to provide safe, quality patient care," said Deb Gordon, AHS' vice president chief operating officer.
Gordon went on to say bed closures are not uncommon, especially during the summer when staffing levels are "historically a little bit lower."
On average, AHS has a six per cent vacancy rate in June – a number that has slightly increased to 6.8 per cent in 2021.
"It's a challenge for us but it's not a new challenge," Gordon said. "There is, however, a new challenge this year. The impact of the pandemic on our staff and positions is new…Many of them have been doing far more than their usual hours in the past 16 months. They need and deserve a break. They're less able to work extra shifts than they would have been a year ago."
As many as 20 hospitals and health facilities have reduced service in some capacity in the past six months — most of them in rural areas. The north zone currently has the most acute care bed closures, with 89 out of 944 beds in the area not in use.
"The reality is we've seen emergency room closures that were not planned in communities across Alberta, primarily rural communities, and quite frankly, I think, the rural citizens of Alberta are tired of being gaslit by a government that's suggesting that it’s just normal for them to tolerate episodic and unreliable service in some of their community hospitals. So we know it's a real problem," NDP Leader Rachel Notley said.
When asked why staff have been more vocal about shortages this year if closures are a routine, seasonal issue, AHS president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu also referenced the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been a really, really rough 16+ months and everyone is very, very tired," Yiu told reporters. "Nobody's had much vacation and at the end of the day, our staff advocate because they really care about patients. We're very supportive of all that they do, we're very grateful of all that they do and it is their purview to share their views, but understanding the lens of the pandemic fatigue, which is real."
With files from Carlyle Fiset
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.