Hospitals in Chatham-Kent are taking steps to "ramp down" non-urgent, elective and scheduled procedures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance announced on Wednesday that both its hospital sites in Wallaceburg in Chatham will be postponing all non-essential care, such as elective surgeries, starting on Thursday.
Emergency surgical procedures will not be impacted, but outpatient clinics will be limited to services related to cancer, dialysis, infusion therapy and fractures.
"We are making difficult decisions every day as the situation evolves," said Lori Marshall, CKHA's president and CEO, in a news release. "We know these measures are challenging for our patients, their families as well as our staff and physicians. We appreciate everyone's support and understanding during this demanding time."
Any patient who will be impacted by these decisions will be contacted in advance by the health alliance.
As well, the CKHA is asking all clinics and physicians in the municipality to utilize virtual care as an alternative for their patients to promote social distancing.
The decision to roll back non-essential services comes just one day after the CKHA announced stricter visitor restrictions at its hospitals.
"We are taking a careful, phased approach to this measure with safety as a first priority, both for our patients, staff members and physicians," said Dr. Pervez Faruqi, CKHA's chief of staff. "It's crucial we build capacity within our hospital and local health system to ensure we limit the spread of COVID-19."
As of Wednesday, two positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Chatham-Kent.
