Alberta health minister confirms capacity strain after neonatal doctors warn of pending crisis

Physicians with the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association have sent a letter to the health minister and head of Alberta Health Services, warning that babies could die because of packed neonatal intensive care units in the city. Breanna Karstens-Smith reports.Alberta’s health minister said the province has “a bit of strain” in neonatal intensive care unit capacity but that there are beds available across the province.

“My greatest concern is for babies to make sure that they’re safe. And so, if we need to at some point do that, we will do that,” said LaGrange.The Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association wrote in the letter that a safe capacity in a neonatal ward is 80 to 85 per cent to allow for emergency cases, but those units were at 95 to 102 per cent capacity about a third of the time between January and March.

LaGrange has said she only learned of the issues outlined in the letter Tuesday, but the association said briefing notes sent to Alberta Health in 2022 and 2023 sounding the alarm for urgently needed beds had “largely been ignored.”Alberta’s population continues to increase and the letter by the Edmonton doctors fear there will be grave consequences for not keeping up with demand for spaces.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

Alberta Health Services Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association Health

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