Questions have been raised since the beginning of the pandemic about when or if a field hospital would be set up in Chatham-Kent to take the pressure off beds at CKHA.
CEO Lori Marshall says the main issue would be staffing.
“Certainly what we’ve seen not just in Chatham-Kent but across the province and the country and internationally, is that health care workers are being impacted as much as everybody else in the community,” Marshall says.
There are 31 COVID-positive patients at CKHA, 14 of whom are being treated primarily for the virus and four in the ICU.
As of Wednesday’s update, there are 99 Health Alliance staff isolating after either testing positive or coming in close contact with a confirmed case.
“That’s the reason why (we have) cancelled surgeries as well is so that hospitals across the province can redeploy staff within the organization to support the number of inpatients,” Marshall explains. “While we would be able to open the physical capacity of a field hospital, we wouldn’t be able to staff it.”
In April, 2020, a portion of the St Clair College HeatlhPlex was set aside to be turned into a 40-bed field hospital, but has never been used.
