As the Timmins and District Hospital looks forward, president and CEO Blaise MacNeil says it won't be back to normal until a COVID-19 vaccine is readily available.
“We, like many others, are beginning to think about how operations will change as we learn to live in a COVID world. While there isn’t a clear picture of how this looks like today, we can say the hospital will not go back to pre-pandemic capacity until a vaccine is readily available to the public,” he said.
It was announced last week that hospitals will gradually start resuming scheduled surgeries and procedures.
MacNeil said they are still operating under directive two for healthcare providers, which ceases or reduces to minimal levels all non-essential elective services.
He said they are looking at how to resume procedures in a slow and measured way.
The complex process, he explained, includes a plan to balance the increase of surgical services and non-emergent procedures while making sure there is capacity for future COVID-19 needs.
"This planning process looks into factors like our current capacity for patients, ensuring an adequate supply of PPE for current operations and future COVID needs, and the ability to quickly create COVID-19 capacity in the event of a second wave of the virus,” he said.
There hasn't been guidance from the province or chief medical officer of health, however MacNeil noted the logistics of seeing patients has changed with the pandemic.
He said waiting areas are congested, and they have to find a way for people to safely receive services.
"I suspect that some level of screening will remain in place for the foreseeable future at the hospital entrances. Any procedure that requires PPE will extend the length of that procedure by the time it takes to adequately put the PPE in place and adequately remove it and then do a proper cleaning post procedure,” he said.
He also expects visitor restrictions will remain even as the hospital starts the elective and non-urgent procedures. Other items they are considering is how to deal with high-touch surfaces.
Ultimately, he noted we're living with an active virus that is circulating.
“Our ability to enjoy as normal a life as possible is really contingent on how well we are able to contain that virus at a very low level and deal with any clusters or outbreaks that may occur as the virus continues to circulate,” he said.
