GUELPH/WELLINGTON – The Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service (GWPS) is assisting overcrowded GTA hospitals in transferring patients during the third wave.
At Wednesday’s County of Wellington social services committee meeting, chief Stephen Dewar said GTA hospitals are in “dire need of assistance” to alleviate the strain they’re experiencing.
In a phone call after the meeting, Dewar explained they are assisting in patient transfers alongside other paramedic services, private transfer services and Ornge air ambulance.
“They’re mostly COVID patients, but it may be that they’re moving other patients to make room for COVID patients, but the cause is the overcrowding and stuff by COVID,” Dewar said.
Dewar said they’ve been asked to help in this capacity in one-off situations like emergencies but this is the first time they’ve done this during the pandemic.
Dewar said it’s important to note these patients aren’t necessarily coming to local hospitals but bouncing around in various parts of the province.
“The transfers are arranged separately and so the destination is wherever the hospitals have arranged,” Dewar said. “We’re not making commitments on behalf of Guelph General or any other area hospital to accept any patients, we’re just providing the transportation.”
GWPS has committed one ambulance for up to two shifts per week to assist in this for as long as it is necessary and they can fulfil primary local duties.
Costs are being covered by the Ministry of Health for providing this service.
Alongside other paramedic services involved — which include Hamilton, Waterloo, Norfolk, Haldimand, Brant and Niagara — there will be two ambulances per day to assist GTA hospitals.
Dewar said they can call-in part time paramedics available to fill in any staffing shortages there may be.
“As long as we can maintain our staffing, then we can continue to try to staff even above that and staff these ambulances,” Dewar said. “If we’re not able to maintain our own staffing then we would have to discontinue to participate.”
