St. Boniface Hospital intensive care over capacity

A Winnipeg hospital is out of beds in a unit that treats intensive care COVID-19 patients.

While experiencing its own outbreak, St. Boniface Hospital is now overcapacity in its Intensive Care Medicine Surgery unit (ICMS).

The unit has 14 beds, with more than half of those currently belonging to COVID-19 patients. The hospital says they were required to move one patient to its Intensive Care Cardiac Surgery (ICCS) unit.

"At this point in time, more than half of the patients needing critical care are COVID-positive. We know that patients being treated for COVID-19 remain in intensive care for longer periods of time than other critical care patients. This puts additional pressure on our capacity," the hospital says in a statement.

The hospital says it additionally cannot take any more patients into the ICCS due to lower staff members after a patient exposed staff to COVID-19.

“We pause to thank our employees for dedicating themselves to the superior care they are providing under the most trying of circumstances,” Martine Bouchard, St. Boniface Hospital President and CEO says.

They say the Health Sciences Centre (a tertiary care facility) and Grace Hospital (acute care) are working with them to meet an anticipated surge in critical care.

St. Boniface is considering cancelling surgeries to make room for more COVID-19 hospitalizations. 

"Doing so would free up additional staff who could be deployed to treat ICU patients. While this matter is under consideration, we are mindful of the potential impacts on surgical patients most in need," the hospital says.

The President is asking Manitobans to help the hospital.

“We also encourage every Manitoban to once again join the team in helping to flatten the curve. Together, we can make a huge difference in protecting our patients and staff alike.”

The hospital says a total 25 of its patients and 11 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.