The lack of personnel is worrying in the intensive care and cardiology units at the Chicoutimi hospital, which have absenteeism rates of 40%.
“In cardiology and intensive care at the Chicoutimi hospital, it’s a disaster … For the teams at present, it’s total exhaustion”, declared the president of the Saguenay – Lac healthcare professionals’ union. -Saint-Jean, Julie Bouchard, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.
Over the past three weeks, more than 140 shifts have been required to be done in Mandatory Overtime (OST) by cardiology and intensive care staff.
And no less than 35 TSOs were listed over the past weekend.
“There are a lot of illnesses, exhaustion, physical fatigue, pregnancies too. We pick up that each time we go to work, we have about a one in two chance of picking up compulsory overtime for 16 hours, ”explained a cardiology nurse, who prefers to remain anonymous.
The latter is also discouraged and disappointed not to be able to provide the quality of care she would like, due to this lack of personnel.
“We return to the same vicious circle of voluntary overtime and compulsory overtime … [les infirmières] are tired, the more there is the risk of losing more on sick leave, ”said the president of the union.
The health network has been trying to catch up in recent weeks for the delay on several waiting lists, which was caused by the second wave of COVID-19 in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean.
In this context, however, it is difficult to ensure a normal resumption of activities.
“The waiting lists have been lengthened quite significantly due to the second wave. So we have to operate a lot despite the fact that the staff in the workplace is not present. It’s extremely difficult for the teams, ”added Julie Bouchard.
Impacts also in Dolbeau-Mistassini
The lack of personnel also has major consequences at the Dolbeau-Mistassini hospital.
Four of the five intensive care beds were closed all weekend due to a lack of trained staff for this critical level of care.
All weekend long, patients who required intensive care hospitalization were redirected to another hospital center, either Roberval, Alma or Chicoutimi.
The situation nevertheless returned to normal on Monday morning, but the staff feared to relive the same scenario.
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