Overburdened Ontario children's hospitals sending kids to Kingston for treatment
Kingston General Hospital is taking in young, very sick patients from across Ontario as children’s hospitals are overloaded.
Jason Hann, the executive vice president of patient care with Kingston Health Sciences Centre, says three patients came in on Monday night alone.
“Certainly something that we haven’t seen before,” he explains. “This is different for us, we do see surges and demands for care for pediatric respiratory illnesses, but not to this level and this early in the fall have we seen this before.”
Hann says most of the patients are under the age of two. Many cases are influenza while some are RSV patients. They are coming from all over Ontario, including from CHEO, the Toronto-area, and even northern Ontario.
“It’s really a result of the demand,” explains Hann. “We’ve seen a significant increase in RSV and flu-type illnesses in the pediatric population much sooner than we would have seen in previous years.”
The hospital has expanded the number of beds it has for children, but Hann says its pediatric critical care ward is already sitting at 200 per cent capacity, while the pediatric ward is at 150 per cent.
This is not the first time Kingston has been the site of patient transfers. It took in COVID-19 patients from other hospitals at the height of the pandemic.
The nearby Brockville General Hospital has also expanded to help CHEO. This is the first time the intensive care unit is prepared to admit kids starting at the age of 14, explains Julie Caffin, the senior Vice President, chief nursing executive.
“Normally we would transfer anybody out that requires the level of ICU care. In today’s situation, we have been asked to consider to admit those who are 14-plus,” she explains.
Caffin says that the general hospital is able to see young patients, but if ICU care were needed, in the past, they would be transferred to another hospital.
She says it’s not clear how long the surge will last, as they’ve been given no official word, but she says the peak could come in January. So far, they haven’t had a patient that young be admitted.
In Kingston, Hann says the hospital is able to keep up with local needs as well.
“We’re working well as a team to make sure that we can provide that care,” he says. “We ask the public to be patient with us as we’re managing the demands for care, but if you need the care and you’re acutely ill you’ll get the care that you need.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.