The Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network wants its extra hospital beds back because it expects the severe flu season to continue.
Provincial funding to open 14 extra beds was moved by the Ministry of Health to other areas hit harder by influenza. LHIN officials are blaming "a mismatch between the flu shot and the predominant flu strain" (H3N2) for the number of cases and outbreaks in the region.
A board report shows that Chatham, Windsor, and Sarnia hospitals lost the provincial money over the last few weeks because other regions needed it. Windsor Regional Hospital is still over-capacity this week with people waiting for beds after keeping the flu at bay through the holidays.
The LHIN says the hospital in Chatham had 98% of its beds occupied at the end of December and, on January 5, became the first in the area to declare a flu outbreak.
That outbreak ended January 15 but Chatham-Kent Health Alliance CEO Lori Marshall "is looking for more beds to be ready for the second flu wave."
The LHIN says "local hospitals could be refunded for expenses from this flu surge from a $1-million provincial urgent priority reserve fund, depending on how the rest of the flu season goes."
A review of this flu season will be conducted by the LHIN to improve next year's plan.