St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake has established plans in case there’s a need to set up a field hospital to deal with COVID patients. It’s part of an effort to satisfy the provincial government’s call for local providers to establish protocols that maintain essential services.
Hospital CEO Pierre Ozolins says the hospital and its partners have been planning the expansion of their current assets. Along with that, he adds they have also gradually released patients at the Oaks, their 53-bed Drug and Alcohol facility at 9 Oakland Boulevard. in an attempt to create increased capacity.
He says the hospital has plans to open up more beds at its Spine Road campus, by converting a day surgery unit back to inpatient use. He stresses nothing will have as great an impact on St. Jos’s ability to deal with COVID-19, though, as it’s ability to stop the spread and flatten the curve.
Ozolins added. "Our detox and emergency bed remains open (at the Oaks), but in the interest of public safety and not bringing in people from all over Ontario and beyond, it (the Oaks) needed to close."
"This is part of our pandemic plan and the deeming of essential services during this type of situation. We must conserve resources, be it physical or human in times like this. As you can see in New York, they are unable to cope because these things become so overwhelming. They will overwhelm every healthcare system,” said the CEO.
"I cannot emphasize this enough. Everyone has a civic duty to hunker down in place, keep physical distance of 2 metres or more, wash hands often and don’t touch your face since your hands are inherently dirty and this virus is spread through contact and droplets," he concluded.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital has implemented enhanced screening procedures for COVID-19 at the main entrance. There you will be asked about cough, shortness of breath and fever symptoms. At the same time officials advise you not to attend the hospital if you have any of these symptoms.
Should you have questions or concerns, contact your primary health care provider, Algoma Public Health or Telehealth Ontario.