Sudbury ER physician details challenges of delivering care during COVID-19 pandemic
When asked to describe caring for patients in the emergency room during the pandemic in one word, Sudbury ER Dr. Rob Lepage got emotional and simply said “challenging.”
Lepage has been an emergency room physician for more than three decades. He said staff at Health Sciences North had to learn as they went along, since there was no playbook on how to provide care in an emergency room during a pandemic.
And 18 months into the battle with COVID-19, Lepage said staff are dealing with what he calls collateral damage of the pandemic.
That includes elderly people who have been deteriorating at home because of cancelled procedures and mental health and addictions patients forced into long wait times at the ER.
“Sudbury, per capita, has … the most opioid deaths and as well the most visits to an emergency department related to opioid problems," Lepage said.
"So all of this really has meant that our numbers of patients every day has really increased. A month ago we saw 260; yesterday, we saw 235 patients on top of that. It’s a well known fact that HSN was built too small and so we’re overcrowded with inpatients and it’s very challenging for people to get seen quickly.”
He said more in-patient beds would alleviate some of the strain, but nurse Sheryl Strojny said there also needs to be more hands on deck.
“When you’re with us, you know we’re trying really hard -- it's just a matter of, you know, decreased staff and resources," said Strojny.
"We just need to work together to get through it and we’re trying there’s just nothing else for us to do at the moment to try and make this any better so we’re just doing what we can with what we have.”
While the emergency department is busy, both Lepage and Strojny said in an emergency, residents shouldn’t hesitate to come to the hospital. But once there, try to exercise a little patience and understanding.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Tesla recalling nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks because accelerator pedal can get stuck
Tesla is recalling 3,878 of its 2024 Cybertrucks after it discovered that the accelerator pedal can become stuck, potentially causing the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally and increase the risk of a crash.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.