The head of Windsor Regional Hospital says come to the emergency room if it is an emergency. Otherwise, see your family doctor.
A dramatic surge in patients suffering from flu-like symptoms over the past 24 to 48 hours has pushed both the Met and Ouellette campuses over capacity.
"If it's an emergency, you'll be taken in," says CEO David Musyj. "If it's not, and you are going to the emergency department rather than seeking a clinic, or primary care, your family doctor, you're going to be there for hours."
Right now, health officials are trying to find beds for 11 patients at the Met Campus, and 12 at the Ouellette Campus. There are 74 patients sitting in the emergency room at Met, 50 at Ouellette.
Musyj says it is not that the hospital was taken off guard by the surge. Health officials expected it after Australia reported a severe influenza season last summer.
"This is what we have been talking about, been warning about, what we were warned about," says Musyj. "Locally, as compared to what's been going on in North America, we've kinda stayed under the radar. It's been bad, but not to this extreme. Unfortunately, I think our time has run out."
Musyj says so far, no elective surgeries have been cancelled, but he warns that could change as the day wears on.
