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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.