Health authorities across Canada have reduced emergency sector time

Canadahave reduced the time in hospital emergency departments and emergency medical clinics in recent weeks. This move is in the summer, in some cases due to a surge in patients and a shortage of staff.

According to clinicians, this situation seeks a resurgence of viral infections between adults and children, such asCOVID-19, and pandemic delayed care. Is related to pushes by people. , And is exacerbated by the large number of health care workers with illness and burnout.

Due to this tension, hospital corridors may become clogged, clinic waiting rooms may overflow, hospitalization may be waited for hours, and children's hospital occupancy may exceed 100%. did. It also rekindled the debate over systematic issues in government-funded healthcare systems.

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On Thursday, Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital in eastern Ontario was struck by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Perth's emergency department. Announced that it will be closed from Saturday to Thursday. It affects its staffing.

"It's like all four horsemen of the apocalypse fall into our health care at once," said Aland Ramond, a family urgent doctor. rice field. About 6,000 people.

Drummond, who spoke to Reuters before the closure was announced, saw the patient waiting 20 hours for hospitalization, which could lead to worsening conditions and even medical malpractice. The situation. He has blamed the situation for years with inadequate funding for hospital beds and community health care.

Small Canadian towns and cities hospitals can save time, but local medical hubs rarely do so.

In Ontario The Governor General of Canada addresses this issue by retaining nurses and other health care workers, although Canada's most populous state is affected by partial or temporary closures. It states that it is taking steps to ensure that.

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"Hospitals make difficult decisions The emergency department will be temporarily closed so that surgery can continue throughout the rest of the hospital, "said a spokesman for the ministry.

According to a hospital statement, hospitals in Quebec's second largest states, New Brunswick and Manitoba, will also have their departments partially closed or within weeks or months. Temporarily shortened the time.

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The Emergency Medical Clinic at Hotel Dew Hospital in Kingston, Ontario has reduced time over the long weekend of Canada Day. A spokesman for the Kingston Health Sciences Center described the move, which began on Friday, as a planned one-off cut, but "staff shortages and current patient population spikes were expected to continue during the summer. I added.

Young people not pre-exposed to many viruses as many succumbed to illness during the spring as many abandoned the face masks used to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Was hit by a medical crisis.

The Eastern Ontario Children's Hospital in the capital Ottawa operated from May to early June with a capacity of 110% to 120%. May occupancy rates were record highs, according to a spokeswoman.

Financing discussion

Canada provides per capita funding According to the OECD, which has the fourth lowest number of acute care beds, of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the federal fund has Canada's health care system in 11 developed countries. Ranked second in the list.

In the 1990s, Canada's Some blame the lack of funding for the healthcare system when the federal government cut spending to curb the country's deficit.

Right-wing Fraser Institute, He says that the government-funded system itself is the root cause of the problem, suggesting a shift to a privately funded model.

Canada may have little time to waste.

Rami Rahal, vice president of Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, is at risk of exacerbating cancer illness and death in the country He said screening was skipped or delayed and treatment was postponed for a long period of time.

"We can't take the approach out of this crisis," he said. "We must find an innovative way to provide care."

(reported by Anna Mehler Paperny, edited by Paul Simao)

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