Overcrowded hospitals a 'separate consideration' from Coronavirus response: Health Minister

Health Minister Christine Elliott says Ontario hospitals are ready to deal with any potential new cases of the novel Coronavirus and "hallway medicine" isn't a factor in the province's ability to respond to the outbreak.

The risk to Ontarians from the novel Coronavirus remains low — Ontario has only had three confirmed cases of the virus, and public health officials report that each patient self-isolated at home and is doing well.

On Tuesday, Elliott met with Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Toronto Mayor John Tory at Dim Sum King restaurant in Toronto to discuss the ongoing response to the virus that has killed more than 1,000 people in China and infected nearly 43,000 in that country. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 395 cases and one death confirmed in 24 other countries.

"I think it's important to remind people that the risk is very low in Canada," said Hajdu. "That's not necessarily because we're in the clear, but more because of the incredible collaboration and sophisticated solutions that we've developed over the last 17 years as a result of our lessons learned through SARS."

Earlier in the morning the health ministers had toured Sunnybrook hospital, where the first novel Coronavirus patent in Canada was treated. There, they saw the precautions the hospital can take, such as the use of negative pressure rooms, if dealing with a suspected case of the virus.

Elliott said those measures means that the overcrowding causing Ontario's "hallway medicine" problem is a "separate consideration" from the health-care system's response to the Coronavirus.

"I would say that when hospitals are faced with a patient who may have the novel coronavirus, they have special rules in place, with negative pressure and all the other facilities, they need in order to contain the person within the room and the virus in the room," she said.

"We certainly saw that at Sunnybrook today," Elliott continued. "They have a number of rooms that are available should they be faced with a number of people with the virus, and other hospitals have similar rooms where they can isolate the patient and make sure that they can contain the virus as well."

"So that's a really separate consideration from the situation in hospitals today and I'm confident that our hospitals can handle any patients that they might receive with the Coronavirus."

Hajdu also voiced faith in Ontario's hospital system. "I'm confident... that we have a hospital system that is being supported at the federal and provincial level to have all of the most current research, all of the most current practical and technical support to respond to cases as they arise," she said.

Stakeholders have been warning of the consequences of hospital overcrowding, including poorer infection control. Michael Hurley, the president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions has said that the capacity challenges make hospitals "severely disadvantaged at times of viral global outbreaks."

Ontario NDP Health Critic France Gélinas agreed with both ministers that the risk of the Coronavirus is very low and the public health response in Canada has been appropriately handled, but she takes issue with the minister's comments that overcrowding is a separate issue.

"Our hospitals could need to step up to the plate in response to any public health emergency including the novel Coronavirus," she said, adding that all parts of the health-care system should be working together as one.

"To have the minister of health say that, 'Oh we don't have to worry about the overcrowding in our hospitals' — No, we have one part of our health system that is overcrowded and would not be able to guarantee quality care," said Gélinas.

Anthony Dale, president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, told QP Briefing that Ontario hospitals' "very significant" capacity challenges go beyond concerns about the novel Coronavirus.

"The levels of occupancy we see today, and the levels of overcrowding were not sustainable before the novel coronavirus appeared here, they’re not sustainable during this period, and they’re certainly not sustainable after the coronavirus is gone. It’s essential to reduce the amount of overall risk facing Ontario’s hospital sector into the future," he said in a statement to QP Briefing.

'The fact that we’re recommending government make a significant investment in hospitals in the upcoming budget should illustrate to everybody the importance of protecting and enhancing the resilience that exists today in the hospital sector," he said, referring to his organization's request for nearly $1 billion in additional funding to the hospital sector in the spring budget.

Dale also said that hospitals have "learned a great deal about infection control and occupational health and safety practices" through experience with past outbreaks, and have learned how to ramp up, if necessary, to respond to pandemics. "There is a lot of resilience, there’s a lot of collaboration, information-sharing, and urgency around these efforts."

"The number one thing that we all need to be doing is ensuring that if a patient comes to an emergency department that all the proper practices and protocols have been followed to maintain a high degree of infection control and minimize the risk of further spread," he said.

According to an analysis by the CBC, in the first six months of 2019, 83 hospitals were beyond 100 per cent capacity for more than 30 days, 39 hospitals hit 120 per cent capacity or higher for at least one day and 40 hospitals averaged 100 per cent capacity or higher.