More COVID-19 cases leads to longer waits at Mississauga emergency departments
Published July 29, 2022 at 3:29 pm
While COVID-19 numbers in Mississauga are nowhere near approaching the worrisome figures seen at the city’s hospitals earlier this year, a recent rise in cases has contributed to increased wait times at emergency departments.
Trillium Health Partners (THP), which oversees Mississauga and Credit Valley hospitals in addition to Queensway Health Centre in Etobicoke, tweeted this week that “THP is seeing a higher number of patients visiting our emergency departments resulting in longer wait times.”
THP added that in order to help alleviate the additional strain, people should consider other healthcare options before first turning to hospital emergency departments.
Family doctors, walk-in clinics and the Health Connect Ontario service, through which people can connect online or by phone with healthcare workers, are options to consider if your condition isn’t an emergency, THP officials say.
THP is seeing a higher number of patients visiting our Emergency Departments resulting in longer wait times.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to provide care for the community we serve. It is important to know all of the health care options available to you. ⤵ pic.twitter.com/JiehqH7WXU
— Trillium Health Partners (@THP_hospital) July 26, 2022
According to Peel Public Health, which tracks hospital numbers in Peel daily, the latest THP figures show that as of today (July 29), there are 138 patients at the three hospitals being treated for COVID-19.
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Of those, eight patients are in critical care.
One week ago, on July 22, there were 183 patients being treated for COVID-19 at THP, including seven in critical care.
Throughout the pandemic, THP has provided updated numbers daily to Peel Public Health for publication.
At the height of the omicron variant wave in January of this year, Mississauga’s hospitals (and Queensway) were seeing more than 300 inpatients being treated for the virus at any given time. And it wasn’t unusual to have between 30 and 40 of those patients in critical care.
That situation, in which THP was treating more patients for COVID-19 than any other hospital in Ontario, put an enormous strain on the local healthcare system.
It prompted several pleas from Mayor Bonnie Crombie that “all hands on deck” were needed to help alleviate the strain.
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