As both sites of the Perth and Smiths Falls District hospital deal with capacity issues and long waits in Emergency Departments, a local Doctor has stepped up to explain what’s causing the backlog.
Dr. Alan Drummond, a Perth doctor and spokesperson for the Ontario Medical Association, says emergency departments are crowded because there are not enough hospital beds for patients who need to be admitted.
He explained that when no inpatient beds are open, admitted patients must remain on stretchers in the emergency department for hours, sometimes more than a full day. While those stretchers are occupied, new patients cannot be properly assessed or treated.
As a result, emergency staff are forced to see patients in hallways, chairs, or other unsuitable spaces, including areas never meant for medical exams.
Drummond says the solution is not discouraging people from seeking care, but fixing patient flow through hospitals.
He argues that increasing staffed inpatient beds would reduce wait times and improve patient safety across Ontario hospitals.
Both sites of the PSFDH recently stepped down from a Code Orange, which means they’re beyond full. However in a statement to LanarkLeedsToday.ca, the hospital says that doesn’t mean capacity issues have been solved.
