University Hospital / Wikimedia
On Nov. 10th, an outbreak was declared at the University Hospital. As of Tuesday, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is reporting 43 patients, and 34 staff testing positive for COVID-19. 4 deaths have also been linked to the hospital. This is the biggest outbreak the city has faced during the pandemic.
On Friday, the Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) issued a list to LHSC, detailing 25 actions the hospital must take in order to control the outbreak. The cancellation of non-urgent and non-emergent surgeries and procedures was included on this list.
Peggy Sattler, MPP for London West stood in legislature Monday. She asked the provincial government to commit to providing support and resources needed for the hospital to follow the public health advice that was provided. She says the Minister of Health responded saying they are working closely with both the MLHU and the hospital, and made a commitment to providing whatever is necessary to deal with the outbreak.
“I will be holding the government to that commitment to make sure they follow through,” the MPP says, “if that means the government stepping up with more funding, or whatever it takes, we need that to happen in London.”
Sattler also asked the Ford government to work with the hospital in making sure there’s a plan in place so Londoners can get timely access to the surgical procedures they need, once the outbreak is under control at the hospital. She says this is especially important as there was already a backlog of surgeries that existed prior to the pandemic, even before the first lockdown back in spring.
“People who have already been waiting unacceptably long times for procedures; cardiac surgery, cancer surgery, hip and knee replacements… They are being forced to wait once again and some of them were waiting, thinking they had a spring procedure booked.”
As health officials work towards gaining control of the outbreak, these other precautions are currently in place at the University Hospital:
- Test all patients and all staff on all medical floors
- Mask all patients and all staff on all medical floors at all times
- Work quarantine for appropriate staff, so they are not in close contact with anyone in the community
- Ensure that majority of staff who are working on the fourth floor are not working somewhere else in the hospital
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