Space is at a premium in the Victoria Hospital, after the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR) announced several inpatient units were operating at overcapacity on Thursday.
PAPHR CEO Cecile Hunt made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, and asked residents to be patient as staff worked through the backlog.
“We’re at overcapacity on several of the inpatient units, and because of that, the wait time in the emergency department is currently extended,” Hunt said. “We want to make sure any patients coming to the emergency room with non-emergency or nun-urgent health concerns know that they may experience an extended wait time.”
Typically, the hospital’s inpatient units operate somewhere between 85 and 100 per cent capacity. On Thursday, that number jumped to 105 per cent, although Hunt said it changed throughout the day.
She added that they hoped the problem would not be long-term, but they were looking at it on a day-to-day basis.
For the immediate future, Hunt recommends that residents visit family physicians or walk-in clinics for treatment. Hospital staff will prioritize patients who visit the E.R. with life-threatening or serious health concerns.
