The Saskatchewan Health Authority is experiencing significant pressures in Intensive Care Units, particularly in Saskatoon and Regina.
However, SHA President Scott Armstrong doesn’t believe this is because of patients in the hospital with COVID-19.
He explains that it’s more about the backlog of services, from slowing things down earlier in the pandemic.
Now, some of these patients are having more symptoms or more severe symptoms, ending up in the hospital.
Armstrong notes that there also staffing issues in ICUs right now, which is something that is happening outside of the province as well.
They are working to move patients to more appropriate areas of care as quickly as possible, whether it’s in the hospital or finding alternative levels of care elsewhere, and the situation is being monitored on a daily basis.
Armstrong says staff are incredibly busy.