With Ontario is still experiencing a surge in COVID-19 case numbers, primarily in larger cities in Southern Ontario, hospitals in the North are essentially on standby for any patient overflows should the need arise.
Dubbed the "Surge Plan," it has been in place since July, and the Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) is no exception.
“All hospitals in Ontario have been asked to reserve 15 per cent of their ICU (intensive care unit) capacity for transfers from harder-hit hospitals. The Timmins and District Hospital has modified a Surge Plan to meet this request, which would help accommodate any potential transfers while meeting the needs of our local patients,” said Kaileigh Russell, TADH communications specialist.
Russell said despite the unfortunate numbers and difficulties that some hospitals throughout the province are having, there is no indication any outside patients will be heading to Timmins for care.
“At this point we aren’t anticipating a large impact on patients in the Timmins area," she said. "The province has developed the COVID-19 Critical Care Command Centre, which manages the transfer of ICU patients between hospitals. The Command Centre would review all requests and current local requirements and, in collaboration with the local hospitals, authorize the transfer from another region.”
Ultimately, the goal of the Surge Plan is to be prepared to help their fellow Ontarians any way they can.
“We hope to see a reduction in the number of new cases, but will be ready to help our colleagues from harder-hit areas if needed,” said Russell.
“Over the past few weeks we have seen a continued increase in COVID-19 cases in our region and, while we have no cases of COVID-19 in our hospital, an increase in cases in the community is cause for concern. It’s vital that each person does their part and follows the current public health guidance to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
