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Overcrowding at PGRH Will Happen Sometimes

By Ben Meisner

Friday, September 23, 2005 04:00 AM

The CEO of Northern Health, Malcolm Maxwell, says the kind of overcrowding  problem recently experienced at Prince George Regional Hospital  will happen from time to time. 

Some patients had to be moved to Rainbow Lodge after the emergency area at the hoisopital became jammed with people to a point that patients were forced to wait in the hall ways. 

Maxwell says this kind of thing will happen from time to time and "We need to develop a strategy to deal with the response time."

There have also been some claims from some staff that nurses are not allowed to put their concerns to paper and they  had been instructed not to make any written reports of the overcrowding in emergency.  Maxwell says "We would expect nurses to report any problem of this nature so we can become aware." 

The most serious overcrowding incident happened about two weeks ago and some patients already recouperating, but not ready for release,  were moved to Rainbow Lodge to make additional beds available.
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Posted on Friday, September 23, 2005 04:00 AM in News by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Comment Posted by: Norm on September 24 2005 11:00 AM
this has nothing to do with overcrowding. it has to do with time spent by nurses and or hospital staff mopping floors. the rooms in the new section of the hospital have showers. these showers are designed for wheel chair access and as a result the floor grade does not direct the water to the drain. this allows the water to run across the floor and out into the hallway, requiring someone to mop it up to prevent an accident. who would be accountable for this oversight,or is this within planning limits if it only happens from time to time
Comment Posted by: gypsy on September 25 2005 8:06 AM
Yeah-35 MILLION spent to expand this hospital, and still no beds available in wards-but patients lie in emergency. Is that performance???
Is there not something wrong with this scenario??
Poorly planned???
Inadequately staffed???
Anbd what type of dictatorship is in effect when nurses cannot voice concerns with written reports??
Who is hiding what???
Honesty in this system???
I am wondering-are you???