{"id":10001,"date":"2020-03-18T15:21:49","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T19:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=10001"},"modified":"2020-04-09T20:20:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T00:20:05","slug":"ontario-announces-surge-funding-to-boost-hospital-capacity-but-ontario-hospitals-are-already-stretched-thin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/ontario-announces-surge-funding-to-boost-hospital-capacity-but-ontario-hospitals-are-already-stretched-thin\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario Announces \u2018Surge Funding\u2019 to Boost Hospital Capacity. But Ontario Hospitals Are Already Stretched Thin"},"content":{"rendered":"

(March 17, 2020)<\/p>\n

By: PressProgress<\/p>\n

The Government of Ontario has declared a\u00a0state of emergency<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but years of underfunding the province\u2019s healthcare system could pose a challenge in boosting hospital capacity during the emergency.<\/p>\n

Among the measures Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday include\u00a0$100 million in emergency funding<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to boost capacity in Ontario hospitals, describing the money as \u201csurge funding\u201d to help frontline healthcare workers \u201cfight against COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n

This follows the government\u00a0asking<\/a><\/span>\u00a0hospitals to\u00a0cancel elective surgeries<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to \u201cpreserve capacity within our system.\u201d However, the capacity at many Ontario hospitals is already stretched thin.<\/p>\n

Sunnybrook hospital senior scientist Donald Redelmeier told\u00a0PressProgress<\/em>\u00a0that his hospital was around 85% capacity on Monday, but said that may be \u201cthe lull before the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted Sunnybrook operated at an average capacity of 105% in 2019 and can \u201cpeak\u201d around 115-120% of capacity.<\/p>\n

It is a widely-accepted\u00a0international standard<\/a><\/span>\u00a0that hospitals should\u00a0not exceed 85% capacity<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

But Redelmeier explained the current occupancy of 85% capacity is partly due to the recent reductions in elective surgeries and other non-emergency practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome things can wait, but they can\u2019t wait forever \u2014 say, joint replacement surgery for osteoporosis of the knee \u2014 that\u2019s just not gonna happen now to make room for other patients who might need the bed,\u201d Redelmeier said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super important to get ahead of the situation \u2014 but eventually, there\u2019s going to be a lot of pent up demand that does have to be looked after properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ontario Health Coalition executive Director Natalie Mehra said that cancelling elective procedures may be a temporary solution, but it will lead to more strain on the system down the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cCancelling elective surgeries certainly will mean they clear out a number of beds,\u201d Mehra told\u00a0PressProgrress<\/em>. \u201cBut it means Ontario has to have a plan to ramp up its hospital bed capacity period.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Ontario, typically, occupancy is running above 100% in all of our large hospitals,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cWhat that means is that every single bed is full, at that snapshot in time \u2014 to get to 100% or above it means every bed is full and there are patients on stretchers waiting for beds. It\u2019s unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Data obtained<\/a><\/span>\u00a0by CBC News in January found\u00a032 of Ontario\u2019s hospitals<\/a><\/span>\u00a0were filled beyond 100% occupancy nearly every in the first half of 2019 \u2014 including Ontario\u2019s 10 biggest hospitals.<\/p>\n

A study of 169 of Ontario\u2019s acute care hospital sites during the same period found:<\/p>\n