The CEO of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich says they haven't really seen a wave of COVID-19 cases yet.
However, Bruce Quigley said they know it's coming and they have a very dedicated staff that is preparing for it.
“We've aggressively discharged patients, who could be taken care of elsewhere, to long term care facilities or at home through continuing care. We've postponed all elective surgical procedures and non-urgent diagnostic testing.”
They have also restricted access to the hospital to visitors and there is now only one entrance to the hospital, through the ER department.
Quigley said there are some challenges they are working towards fixing,
“Some of the challenges that MGH is experiencing would be a shortage of personal protective equipment, but fortunately, there does seem to be an upturn in PPE availability this past week.”
Quigley said one of the things that have helped everyone prepare for what's coming is the collaboration between all of the hospitals in the region.
“One of the ways we're working very closely with them is we're pooling supplies and making them available for organizations to draw upon, as opposed to every organization trying its best to source its own supplies, we now have a virtual inventory.”
The hospital has a hotline that is open eight hours a day to answer questions and that number is 519-524-8689 ext. 5412