A spokesperson with Interior Health says hospitals across the region are under immense pressure, operating nearly 20 per cent over capacity.
Karl Hardt says the overall occupancy for the Interior Health Authority sits around 117 per cent, with Royal Inland Hospital consistent with that broader number.
Hardt’s comments come as the province opened Emergency Operation Centres Monday due to a rise in COVID-19, RSV, and influenza cases rise across BC.
“We typically see an increase in cases at the beginning of the year in January related to respiratory illness and we have seen some of that. We also have patients needing to go to long-term care or into the community for care.”
He explains that the six major hospitals in the Interior Heath feed into the EOC, to have patients treated as quickly as possible.
“It’s about formalizing the structure that, in many cases, is already in place, allowing for really quick, rapid connections. The goal is always to ensure patients are getting the right care in the right location.”
For patients needing long-term care, Hardt says the health authority is working to make sure there is an appropriate bed as quickly as possible.
“It’s about making sure that if someone’s ready to go to long-term care, we can get them there to an appropriate bed as quickly as possible or if they need to go back to the community. It’s about getting the supports in place so that they have appropriate care and support in the community.”
As part of the EOC, Hardt says if it comes down to it, patients may be transported to other sites if there isn’t enough space at RIH.
“We are managing at this point, but there have been times in the past when we relied on other sites in terms of space. If there’s long-term care capacity available in a neighboring area, that might be something that’s looked at. We’ve supported patients from Northern Health when they had significant staffing challenges during COVID-19.”
While Hardt acknowledges it is busy at RIH right now, he stresses that if people need emergency care, they should still come in.
“We are maintaining all services in addition to the emergency department, we continue to do surgeries and provide patients with the other supports and services they need.”
Additionally, Hardt says Interior Health is working to recruit healthcare professionals at Royal Inland and at its EOC’s.
He suggests calling Health Link at 811 if they are unsure about the type of care they need or heading to the Primary Care Center in Kamloops.
