The continued rise in COVID-19 cases is putting extra pressure on our healthcare facilities to the point that the Dr. F. H. Wigmore Hospital here in Moose Jaw is now operating at over-capacity.

The strain on nursing staff is prompting the Saskatchewan Health Authority to consider transporting less acute patients to smaller hospitals in the region.

Dr. Brandon Thorpe explains further.

"We're looking at a systematic approach of trying to see if we can transfer some patients out from the Dr. FH Wigmore Regional Hospital into some of our community hospitals in Assiniboia, Gravelbourg, and Davidson where we feel the patients could get better care compared to lying on a stretched in the hall."

Dr. Thorpe says that they would only be moving patients who are near the end of their recovery or those who are in need of 'lighter' care.

"Really what we're trying to do is level the load as we're overcapacity right now. We probably wouldn't be transporting any COVID patients from one place to another because then you're potentially contaminating more than one institution. These would be patients that have stabilized in the ward that are not quite ready to go home."

The hope is to balance the caseload and free up some beds should there be a surge in hospitalizations.

Dr. Thorpe goes on to say that a number of the individuals in the hospital are those who held off going to the doctor earlier because of COVID-fears, or because they were worried they might burden the doctor by not being 'a serious enough issue'. Dr. Thorpe wants residents to know that the doctor's office is a very safe environment and that no matter how large or small the issue is, their job is to look after you.