Ed Mason
11/16/2009
While it appears there are improvements with the supply of vaccine, the head of Alberta Health Services has a sobering update on the H1N1 situation.
Line-ups at flu shot clinics all but disappeared late last week but the number of people hospitalized with H1N1 increased by a third between last Thursday and Friday.
AHS CEO Doctor Stephen Duckett says only a third of the way through the second wave of H1N1, the impact on the health care system is slightly greater than computer models predicted. Duckett says this requires implementations of what he calls "our ICU Surge Capacity plan...allowing us to open additional beds, and deploy staff, as needed, when needed, and where needed."
Duckett adds: "I expect things to get tougher over the next few weeks, especially in terms of demand on hospitals....with increasing patient volumes and/or staff illness."
The health care boss concludes his latest message to staff by emphasizing "how grateful I am that so many of you have gone so far beyond what can be expected of you to help Albertans weather this crisis." (EM, ccg)
On the Net:
News & views from the President/CEO Dr. Stephen Duckett
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