[ad_1]
Hospitals in Orange County have been ordered to stop diverting ambulances to other medical centers when their emergency rooms are too busy. The order came out late last night, hours after the county reported a record number of new deaths and cases in a single day.
The surge in coronavirus cases has strained hospital resources to the point that too many people are requesting ambulances to go elsewhere.
Orange County EMS Medical Director Dr Carl Shultz told us that, for now, it will be up to hospitals to implement their own emergency room overflow plans.
“In situations where a particular hospital is completely overwhelmed, the ambulance company has permission to move those patients to another less affected hospital.”
However, ambulance companies can only make this call after waiting at least an hour to unload the patient. This allowance is made to avoid another potential problem: a shortage of ambulances.
So should you call 911? In an actual emergency, yes, says Shultz, but if you are able to safely transport yourself to the emergency, Orange County officials are asking you to do so and not to call an ambulance unless necessary.
Usually, when hospitals receive too many emergencies or run out of specialists, they temporarily divert ambulances bringing in new cases in order to have a chance to catch up with patients. Instead of going to the nearest hospital, ambulances can be directed to take patients to a medical center with more capacity for faster care. But that only works if it’s just a few hospitals and just a part of the time.
To date, the Southern California region reports 0% availability of hospital beds. The region includes Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Imperial, Mono, and Inyo counties.
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF ORANGE COUNTY NUMBERS:
Here’s a look at the long-term trends in the county. To learn more, visit our California COVID-19 Tracker and choose Orange County or any county in California that interests you. These numbers were current as of Thursday, December 16 and do not include today’s updates:
READ MORE:
Our news is free on LAist. To ensure you benefit from our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our not-for-profit public service journalism: Donate now.
[ad_2]
Source link