- Northland hospitals have been accused of being twins of Covid-19 and the flu epidemic.
- Patients have to wait days for treatment in the corridor or hospitalization.
- Better mask use and vaccination will help relieve pressure, emergency department doctors say.
Northland hospitals are under “unprecedented pressure” as increased Covid-19 and influenza infections disrupt the healthcare system.
Dr. Gary Painda said the emergency department at Wangalay Hospital, where he worked, had full patients regularly seen in the corridors and treated in chairs.
Many patients who were ill enough to be hospitalized had to wait at least 24 hours for the beds in the ward to become available.
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The same problem was seen in hospitals across the country, suffering from Covid-19 for two years, increasing flu infections and exhausting staff, Payinda said.
Kathryn George / Staff
Northland hospitals are consistently at their maximum capacity and staff are tired after a two-year pandemic. (File photo)
Northland is also affected by the country’s lowest Covid-19 vaccination rate, low GP numbers, and delays in elective surgery, he said.
The danger of overcrowding was highlighted earlier this month when a woman who left Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital due to a long waiting time at ED died of a cerebral hemorrhage several hours later.
However, Payinda said the case was not an isolated case in New Zealand.
“The problem of overcrowding is common and widespread and, of course, harms patients every day.”
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Dr. Gary Payinda is an emergency physician at Whangārei Hospital and states that the patient is being treated in a chair. (File photo)
Payinda said improving mask use and further encouraging vaccination is essential to overcoming the crisis.
Dr. Bad Willems, a Northland medical officer, said hospitals in Northland have increased flu hospitalizations and all four hospitals are experiencing “unprecedented levels of pressure.” ..
“The ongoing problem was the sequelae of the Covid-19 pandemic, which required non-acute care and delayed surgery.”
Willems said people are at risk of getting both influenza and Covid-19 in a short period of time, leading to more serious illnesses.
To help, the Health Commission was discharged as soon as the patient became stable and was followed up with its post-discharge service. According to Willems, virtual counseling was also used for non-urgent ED patients.
Payinda said the situation could be improved by the government mandating the use of masks at work and school, and by encouraging more use of masks where needed.
“Wearing a mask is one of the top one, two or three steps people can take,” he said.
Payinda said Covid-19 booster shots and flu jabs need to be encouraged.
Willems said the flu had worsened this year due to a lack of immunity from Covid-19 border control for two years.
I recommended that high-risk people (elderly, young, pregnant, or those with existing medical conditions) contact their GP early to find out if treatment is needed.