Saskatoon’s field hospital to deal with COVID-19 should be ready in about 4 weeks. The work on site at Merlis Belsher Place and the Saskatoon Field House is expected to begin next week. The Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Incident Commander for Saskatoon and area says the design and architectural work is under way, and detailed footprints have been drawn up. Suzanne Mahaffey explains when City Hospital is 50 per cent full, that’s when decisions will be made about when to begin admitting patients at the field hospital. Mahaffey expects the field hospital will be ready in 4 weeks.

For now, patients with the virus are in a segregated area of Royal University Hospital and Pandemic Lead, Dr. Jon Witt, says the staff is also specifically dealing with COVID-19 patients so there is no movement between different areas of the hospital, to lessen the chances of transmission. Part of the pandemic plan has meant coming up with additional negative pressure rooms. These are rooms that allow air in, but prevents contaminated air from escaping. It’s ventilated through a filter system to ensure it’s cleaned before being ventilated outside. Mahaffey, says before the pandemic, they had 22 negative pressure rooms and now they are at 59.

Dr. Witt says having a single healthcare system like Saskatchewan has is an advantage during a time like this. Unlike what you may see in the U.S., the SHA is one unified body so the flow of communication is easier. Witt says no one wants to be in this situation, but he can’t think of a better group to be with in the fray. He adds that it’s up to the whole province to dampen the spread of COVID-19, because the health system can’t do it alone.