COVID-19: Kenney says Alberta to accept help from feds, N.L as health system under ‘enormous pressure’
Global News
Premier Jason Kenney announced that Alberta has now agreed to accept help from Ottawa as the health-care system is under "enormous pressure" because of the fourth wave of COVID-19.
Just days after saying help offered to Alberta by the federal government and Newfoundland and Labrador was not immediately necessary, Premier Jason Kenney announced Thursday that his province has now agreed to accept help as the health-care system is under “enormous pressure” because of the fourth wave of COVID-19.
“We appreciate reciprocal offers,” Kenney said at a news conference, noting Alberta has offered assistance to other provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic as well and still has citizens from other province’s in its hospitals’ ICUs.
Kenney said eight to 10 staff from the Canadian Armed Forces will be coming, likely to CFB Edmonton, along with up to 20 trained staff from the Canadian Red Cross, who will likely be deployed to the hard-hit Red Deer Regional Hospital. He also said his government is in the process of finalizing plans to bring in a medical team from Newfoundland, likely to be deployed to Fort McMurray’s hospital.
“These contributions may help us to staff four or five additional ICU beds,” the premier said, noting that every little bit helps.
“I know that Alberta health-care workers will be grateful for the helping hand and that all Albertans are thankful for any assistance at this challenging time.”
The announcement that help has now been officially accepted comes as Alberta Health Services says 309 patients are currently in Alberta’s ICUs, with “the vast majority” of them being positive for COVID-19.
Kenney said with bed capacity having been expanded to 372 available ICU beds, the province is using 83 per cent of its ICU capacity.
“(This) has come at a real cost,” the premier said, noting the large numbers of surgeries and procedures that have been postponed as a result, and the “huge stress” health-care workers are under as they deal with such high numbers of seriously ill patients.