B.C. turns down Alberta's call for COVID-19 help amid serious hospital crunch
A day after one of Alberta’s top health officials announced that that province’s COVID-19 health-care crisis necessitated a cross-country call for help, British Columbia’s health minister has responded to say B.C. simply can’t handle helping anyone else.
On Wednesday, Alberta declared a public health emergency and Premier Jason Kenney apologized for ignoring the warnings of experts and lifting nearly all public health measures over the summer, a decision that led to a surge in COVID-19 cases now that threatens to overwhelm staffed intensive care beds within 10 days.
“We are taking two extremely difficult steps: We will be reaching out to other provinces to see if they have any available ICU space where Albertans could get the care that they need, as well as asking them if they have skilled frontline staff who may be willing to come to Alberta to assist us,” said Alberta Health Services president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu at the news conference where the public health emergency was declared.
“We remain hopeful that it will not come to this, as we continue to add critical care capacity.”
On Thursday, CTV News Vancouver asked the ministry of health whether B.C. would be able to help its neighbouring province, but the answer was “no.”
“Given the current demands on B.C.’s health-care system, we will not be able to assist with taking patients at this time,” said B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix in an email statement.
“If we can take patients on in the future, we will.”
Ontario, which has far fewer active COVID-19 cases than all of Western Canada on a per-capita basis, has offered to assist Alberta.
ICUS IN B.C. STRUGGLING TO HANDLE LOCAL PATIENTS
Frontline health-care workers who spoke with CTV News aren’t surprised the province had to turn down the request for assistance, painting a picture of intensive care units that are struggling to handle the influx of local COVID-19 patients.
In Northern Health, in particular, the situation is so dire that one doctor described the system as “close to collapse.”
Rather than one-on-one care for critically ill patients, nurses are now working in teams with multiple patients for each nurse; there are concerns patients are not receiving the level of care they require, and the stress on those who work is said to be contributing to nurses avoiding or refusing ICU shifts.
Some nurses have left the profession altogether. Others have stepped away from full-time work to take on-call shifts where they aren’t pressured to work as much overtime and can take on as much work as they want.
Doctors and nurses alike describe the growing staff shortages and protests in front of hospitals as fraying nerves further, at a time more COVID-19 patients – the vast majority of them unvaccinated – are needing medical care.
All who spoke to CTV News expressed deep regret and frustration that so many people needing medical care for health issues unrelated to the pandemic are having to wait, sometimes to deadly effect.
ONTARIO NOW OUTPERFORMING WESTERN CANADA WITH CAUTIOUS APPROACH
The Public Health Agency of Canada COVID-19 dashboard illustrates in stark contrast how provinces’ different pandemic management approaches and philosophies are playing out.
In Ontario, where there are more safety measures for schools and a mask mandate for indoor public spaces remained in place through the summer, there are currently 42 active cases per 100,000 people. There are 121 in British Columbia and 423 in Alberta, with 345 per 100,000 in Saskatchewan.
Alberta’s top doctor hinted that the poor performance of western provinces compared to Ontario may not be coincidence, describing discussions between the provinces as they all lifted public health measures (to varying degrees) at the start of the summer.
“The three western provinces all moved to release restrictions,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, adding her decision was based, in part, on discussions with colleagues.
“All of us were looking at the data, and all of us believed that we would see a decoupling, similar to what was seen in the U.K. “
While the proportion of confirmed infections compared to hospitalizations is lower than in previous waves, the fourth wave has still seen an influx of COVID-19 patients to hospital needing oxygen support and, sometimes, ventilated machine breathing.
And, while health officials are now keen to point out the majority of infections are in unvaccinated people, in order to encourage everyone to get the protection resulting from full vaccination, B.C. experts had warned months ago that lifting restrictions too early amid the ultra-contagious Delta variant could see a pandemic fuelled by those who had no protection and were much more likely to end up in hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Murder charges filed against U.S. woman who crashed into building hosting birthday party, killing 2 kids
A Michigan woman was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder and other crimes after prosecutors say she drunkenly smashed her SUV into a boat club that was hosting a birthday party, killing two young siblings and injuring several other people.
Toronto's police chief clarifies initial statement on Umar Zameer acquittal, says he 'accepts' jury's finding
Toronto's Chief of Police has clarified a statement that he'd hoped for "a different outcome" made just after Umar's Zameer acquittal, telling reporters Tuesday he supports and accepts the jury's finding in the five-week trial.