UCP Alberta ends Edmonton hospital hallway medicine directive to combat patient surge


Thu, August 4, 2022



EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services says it has ended the emergency directive calling for some patients in Edmonton hospitals to be treated in hallways.

The order was enacted earlier in the week to reduce pressure on emergency departments while AHS worked to place some patients in other hospitals or care facilities.

AHS says that work is now done, and that the surge came as it was dealing with high demand following a long weekend, staffing shortages and higher numbers of patients due to COVID-19.

It notes pressures on the health system are being seen across Canada and around the world.

The Opposition NDP says that while this is true, Alberta’s government made a chaotic staffing situation worse by ripping up the master contract with doctors and trying to cut nurses’ pay.

NDP critic Sarah Hoffman says she worries what this means for the fall, when respiratory illnesses are more prevalent and the patient load in hospitals tends to increase.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2022.

The Canadian Press