Ottawa: Ontario’s paediatric intensive care units are above the capacity while general hospitals are accepting children who are healthy enough to leave ICUs.
There were 122 children admitted in paediatric ICUs, up from 111 a day earlier. This was revealed by the Daily Statistics of Critical Care Services Ontario.
Only five children admitted to icuses had Covid-19. The province has 112 intensive care beds for children.
Dr Chris Simpson, Ontario’s chief medical director of health, said children’s hospitals across Ontario have been running full since last month. This is due to influenza and respiratory diseases and viruses. Both these diseases have struck a month earlier than expected.
The agency overseeing the province’s health system has instructed general and community hospitals to admit children who are healthy and can drop out of intensive care. But they still need to be hospitalised for recovery.