Connect with us

COVID-19

Minot hospitals can’t bear another COVID surge

Published

on

MINOT, ND – Hospitals in North Dakota don’t have the capacity to provide staffed beds for their patients.

As the COVID-19 cases spike, there is a need to hospitalize more patients, but the problem is that the staff is also part of them.

“We’re seeing more and more cases, more hospitalization, more serious illness. Contrary to what one has had expected with the omicron,” said Dr. Casmiar I. Nwaigwe, infectious disease expert.

Trinity hospital in Minot is licensed for 251 beds if they have staff on board to run them. On Wednesday, they were completely full with no available bed. They have between 50-60 sick employees.

“Space is not really that much of a problem, but there is a limitation in terms of staffing, and there is a limitation in terms of ICU capacity. From day to day this is reviewed and when we are at maximum, we are at maximum. When we can’t admit more patients, we can’t admit more patients,” said Dr. Nwaigwe.

Hospitals across the state are filling up as well and patients are waiting for days to get in.

“Trinity is doing everything that it can, but even with everything being done, if the staff to take care of the patient is not there, if they are sick themselves, then there’s really nothing you can do,” said Dr. Nwaigwe.

Advertisement

Trending