CHEO opens second ICU amid 'unprecedented' crisis
CHEO has opened a second pediatric intensive care unit to address an overflow of critically ill babies and young children with respiratory illnesses.
The hospital is dealing with a never-before-seen influx of children with illnesses including RSV, COVID-19, flu and other viruses.
"Unprecedented feels like an overused word at the moment, but there’s no better term to describe the crisis facing our pediatric health-care system right now,” Dr. Lindy Samson, CHEO's chief of staff, said in a news release.
CHEO had previously added beds to its existing PICU. The new unit makes five more beds available to children and youth. The space has been temporarily reassigned from CHEO's surgical day unit.
The hospital is experiencing more than double its normal volume of younger patients, leading to longer emergency room wait times.
CHEO says it's taking other measures to deal with the crisis, including redeploying clinicians with critical care skills to help in the PICU, reassigning other staff and postponing some surgeries and clinic appointments to free up staff.
It has also adopted peak viral season measures, which means only one parent or designated caregiver is allowed at a sick child's bedside.
On Monday, Samson pleaded at Ottawa's board of health meeting for the public to wear masks. On Wednesday she reiterated that plea.
"At this time, we need Ottawa to come together as a community and help reduce the spread of these viral illnesses in our community, so CHEO can get back to providing care for all children and youth who need it, in a timely manner. So please wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces, including schools," she said.
- Time to wear masks 'once again,' Ottawa Public Health urges
Hospital wait times at all-time high
CHEO's move to open a second ICU comes as new data shows wait times in Ontario emergency rooms are higher than ever.
In Ottawa, the average wait to see a doctor in the ER can be nearly double the provincial average.
"This weekend we had 24 admitted in our ER we only had 22 beds and we still saw 240 patients coming through who were not admitted," said Yvonne Wilson, vice-president of patient care and chief nurse executive at Queensway-Carleton Hospital. "So it creates a challenge when we’re faced with that."
Hospital officials say people seeking urgent care should still come to the emergency room.
"Patients who present to the Emergency Department are triaged based on the severity of illness/injury; those with the most severe conditions will be seen as quickly as possible, and unfortunately, some patients may experience longer wait times," Ottawa Hospital spokesperson Rebecca Abelson said.
"Health-care providers always work hard to ensure that those who need care will receive it. If you need emergency care, you should continue to come to the Emergency Department."
At CHEO, the average wait to see a doctor is more than three and a half hours. The provincial average is two hours.
Here are the latest average wait times to first assessment by a doctor at Ottawa-area hospitals:
Ottawa Hospital General Campus: 3.7 hours
CHEO: 3.4 hours
Queensway Carleton Hospital: 2.8
Ottawa Hospital Civic campus: 2.7 hours
Montfort Hospital: 2.2 hours
Here are the wait times to be admitted to a hospital bed (provincial average 21.3 hours):
Queensway Carleton Hospital: 23.7 hours
Ottawa Hospital General campus: 22 hours
Ottawa Hospital Civic campus: 21.6 hours
CHEO: 16.1 hours
Montfort Hospital: 16 hours
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.