Ontario: The emergency departments of the Durham region are facing a difficult situation due to the high patient volume and shortage of staff, according to a joint statement issued by Lakeridge Health and The Region of Durham Paramedics Services (RDPS).
A statement issued in this regard said that due to this situation, the waiting time of the less sick people has increased further and due to this shortage of staff in Lakeridge Health Hospitals, it is also difficult to evacuate the ambulances. All residents taking non-essential medical treatment are being asked to adopt other options such as walk-in clinics, primary care, urgent care or virtual care.
Urgent care options are available on Lakeridge Health’s website, which residents can take advantage of. It has also been given an estimated waiting time for all the four emergency departments. The waiting time is refreshed every half an hour. Lakeridge Health says they can’t tell a patient how long they will have to stay in the hospital because it all depends on the patient’s care and the tests he or she does.
It has also been said that if someone needs free medical attention, he should either call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department. The joint statement also said that all people who have been brought to the Lakeridge Health Emergency Department in critical condition and patients whose lives are in danger are taken care of on a priority basis.
The critical condition has been described as if someone is having chest pain or discomfort, not getting a pulse, state of unconsciousness, difficulty in breathing, excessive bleeding, breathlessness, fainting and other serious trauma.