A Niagara politician is calling on the provincial government to call in the Armed Forces to help the region deal with the latest COVID-19 surge.
Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates is making the call after learning Niagara Health is temporarily closing its urgent care centre in Fort Erie to redeploy staff to the hospital in Niagara Falls as many staff members have become sick with COVID or have had to isolate.
Gates is urging the Ford government to acknowledge its failure and request support from the Canadian Armed Forces for the region’s embattled health care system.
Niagara Health says the decision is part of a larger plan to temporarily prioritize care for patients who need critical, emergency and acute care services because of the escalating impact of the Omicron variant on patient volumes and staffing levels.
There are five outbreaks at the Niagara Falls and St. Catharines hospitals.
“This wave of the pandemic is beyond anything we have experienced. We have exhausted all options, and the temporary closure of the Urgent Care Centre is a measure of last resort,” says Lynn Guerriero, Niagara Health President and CEO. “Our healthcare teams continue to provide care to our patients with professionalism and compassion. Our Urgent Care team members have a unique set of skills that are urgently needed in our Emergency Departments, and we are grateful for their commitment to Niagara.”
There are currently 354 staff members in self-isolation, with 146 staff members testing positive for the virus since Dec. 21st.
Gates will be formally requesting that the Ontario government deploy military aide to assist Niagara Health and to restore services at Niagara Falls General Hospital and Fort Erie’s urgent care centre.
“Ford’s inaction has made the crisis worse, and we must act now to safeguard the health and safety of Niagara residents. We must get military medical support into Fort Erie and ensure residents continue to have life-saving care available to them,” said Gates.
Niagara is caring for 104 COVID-19 patients including 15 in the ICU.
That's up from 88 patients in hospital yesterday, and 8 in the ICU.