Alberta says it will shift patients elsewhere from acute care beds to create room for other patients with COVID-19, Tyler Shandro, health minister, says.
Those who are taken out of hospital will be sent home where they will receive in-facility care, the health minister said.
The province said it took this approach to help the health system coupe with the surging infection due to the fourth wave. In addition, the ministry said it will avail $36m in funding to engage additional staff and improve wages so that Albertans can be cared for outside of the hospital.
He noted that $22m will go towards increasing pay of care aides who serve in contracted agencies. Th fund will make it possible to raise pay by $2 each hour for the next year.
An additional $14m will be spend on expanding the workforce to support home care service till the 31st of March.
At least 400 Albertans are in hospital waiting to be moved to continuing care centers, while other are scheduled to go home.
Approximately 200 of these patients could me moved this coming week, this is according to Dr. Verna Yiu or Alberta Health services.
