Stollery Children's Hospital ward to temporarily act as adult emergency patient outflow
Anticipated high patient volumes due to Omicron case surges prompted a new ward in the Stollery Children's Hospital to become an adult emergency outflow centre temporarily.
In a memorandum last week, Alberta Health Services (AHS) says the children's hospital will maintain seven operating theatres instead of eight due to the temporary ward shift. The new adult treatment space was expected to be operational as early as Wednesday.
"As we continue to navigate pressures across the zone due to the COVID-19 Omicron virus, we need to ensure that we maintain patient access and flow across the continuum of care," said the memorandum, addressed to all Stollery staff and physicians.
"The proximity of this space to the emergency department is crucial in facilitating safe patient care," the letter said.
"If pediatric surgery volumes experience a surge, new options and solutions will be explored."
In a statement to CTV News, AHS said the adjustment would not result in pediatric surgery reductions currently being performed, but "a small number" of scheduled pediatric surgeries booked for February will be rescheduled.
"This change is part of the site's pandemic plan," said Blain Fairbairn, AHS spokesperson. "In these extraordinary times, AHS has had to make significant changes to the way we deliver healthcare.
"What has remained the same (is) anyone needing urgent, emergency healthcare will receive it."
While cases reported by Alberta Health and wastewater testing data indicates a downward trend, the province expects a hospitalization peak later this month.
The Kaye Edmonton Clinic is expected to open a pandemic response unit for patients needing "non-significant" care and symptom monitoring to open beds and spaces in hospitals and ICUs. A similar unit is to open in Calgary's South Health Campus as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.