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The St. Thomas hospital is urging people to seek medical attention elsewhere for non-emergencies after experiencing an increased volumes of patients.
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) has issued a statement that it saw 198 patients and received 34 ambulances on Monday this week, adding it continued to “experience significant volumes” of patients.
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“If you are feeling unwell, and it’s not an emergency, there are other options for care,” the statement posted to social media read, adding citizens can call primary physicians, nurse practitioners, visit walk-in clinics or connect with Health811 – a 24-hour telephone service offering advice from health professionals.
For those without a primary care provider, the hospital statement said people could contact the new St. Thomas-Elgin Community Hub in the city’s south end. The centre is part of the Thames Valley Family Health Team and has 120 physicians across 18 sites in London and Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin counites, according to its website.
No health officials from STEGH were available for comment on what was contributing to its higher numbers.
But it’s not just the St. Thomas hospital facing increased volumes.
At London Health Sciences Centre, both of its hospitals were experiencing a “higher than usual number of patients being admitted compared to patients being discharged,” said LHSC supervisor David Musyj.
Although no surgeries have been postponed at either LHSC’s Victoria or University hospitals due to higher numbers of people seeking treatment, Musyj didn’t rule out the possibility.
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“That’s not to say that it will not occur moving forward, but at this moment we have not had to do that,” he said. “We’ve been able to find capacity in the system by working together.”
LHSC was working to expedite patient discharges in a safe manner to create capacity, Musyj said.
A spokesperson from LHSC said there wasn’t a specific cause accounting for increased numbers of patients, only that it was experiencing high intake numbers.
ST. THOMAS – ELGIN COMMUNITY HUB
- Where: 230 First Avenue, Suite 109 in St Thomas
- Contact: 519-473-0530 ext. 2258
bwilliams@postmedia.com
@BrianWatLFPress
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