Military help on its way to Alberta to offset pandemic pressures
The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy eight critical care nurses to Alberta on Monday, with the bulk of them being stationed in Edmonton area hospitals.
This as calls grew louder for federal aid to support healthcare workers in Alberta over recent weeks, with COVID-19 hospitalizations reaching new highs.
Premier Jason Kenney says these additional staff members will help fully staff an additional two ICU beds.
“I know that Alberta healthcare workers will be grateful for the helping hand and that all Albertans are thankful for any assistance at this challenging time,” he said Thursday.
The Canadian Red Cross is also set to deploy staff on Monday, with up to 20 destined for Red Deer, to help in that city’s hospital “to augment or relieve existing staff working in hospitals,” read a statement from officials.
In September, Alberta cancelled all non-urgent surgeries in the province due to rising hospitalizations and ICU beds being filled.
For Sharon Durham, a Wynyard, Sask., resident, the pressure on Alberta hospitals has been detrimental to her health.
She is suffering from a rare form of cancer in her face, that has since returned.
Durham was scheduled to have surgery in Edmonton at the University of Alberta hospital, before it was abruptly cancelled last week.
She was told because hospital numbers are skyrocketing, and she is not an Alberta resident, her lifesaving surgery could not take place.
Durham says doctors have told her she may lose her eyesight or possibly die due to the form of cancer she has.
And she blames those who are unvaccinated for delaying surgeries like hers.
“The unvaccinated people who have the choice to get vaccinated aren’t,” she said.
“When they get sick, the first place they go is to our hospitals. Well why are they allowed to take my bed, when I’m doing everything for society to help out.”
However, on Friday, she received a call saying her surgery is back on and scheduled for Oct. 7.
Durham believes there are even more people suffering like her and pleads with anyone not vaccinated, to do so.
“I’m so angry,” she said. “It’s hard because I even have family members who are not vaccinated.”
She says she also has a cousin in need of a kidney transplant, who can’t get one.
Dr. Stephen Vaughan, an infectious disease specialist in Alberta says staffing issues have been troubling at hospitals, with nurses doubling and potentially tripling their workload.
“Typical ICU nurse would have one to one nursing where they would take a care of a single patient,” he said.
“They are all taking care of two patients now and if more people with COVID come in, they may have to take care of three patients at the same time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
TikTok, ByteDance sue to block U.S. law seeking sale or ban of app
TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance said on Tuesday they filed suit in U.S. federal court seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban its use.