AHS redeploys dozens of staff to help with surge in respiratory infections at children's hospital
Facing an intensive care unit operating close to – and sometimes above – capacity, Alberta Children's Hospital has been forced to redeploy 65 staff from a mix of units.
Alberta Children's Hospital head Marg Fullerton says the staff came from respite care at Rotary Flames House, as well as some outpatient clinics and even from corporate positions.
"We are sustained at a high level of overcapacity at this time," Fullerton said during a question-and-answer session with reporters late Monday afternoon.
"We have great sympathy for those families that we have had to postpone. But as soon as this respiratory surge eases, we will be rebooking those patients as quickly as possible," Fullerton said.
She says another 10 nurses are starting at ACH this January and the hospital will add a total of 12 short-stay beds by this Wednesday, including the staff to make them function.
So far this fall, 205 kids under the age of 10 have been admitted to hospital with influenza.
Twenty have been admitted to ICU and two have died.
Those numbers do not include other common and often serious infections such as RSV and COVID-19.
Fullerton also says there has been no request for assistance from the Red Cross, and that the system for now can hold up with existing staff.
She says people can help the hospital by staying home when sick, washing hands regularly, wearing a mask in crowds and by getting this year's flu shot.
Just 22 per cent of Albertans have received their seasonal flu shot, using up just over half of the province's supply of 1.9 million doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.