Smithfield, NC – Coronavirus cases are on the rise across North Carolina and hospitals in the region are running out of space.
Monday saw a new record of people undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, at 3,192. It also saw Johnston County Health reach maximum capacity at its Clayton and Smithfield hospitals.
“There just aren’t enough nurses to care for all patients,” said Johnston Health’s medical director, Dr. Rodney McCaskill.
Despite the increase in patients, the number of employees remains the same.
“I think if you ask me the question that keeps me up at night, [it] it’s about our team. If you can imagine patients working with, and for, they work so hard and tirelessly every day and then you have to get up and come back the next day, “said Tom Williams, CEO and President of Johnston Health.
“It is reaching a point where there will be no resources available if we have additional patients arriving,” added McCaskill.
Elsewhere, Cape Fear Valley Health is approaching more than 100% of capacity. Chief medical officer Dr. Sam Fleishman is not hiding his discomfort.
“We are very concerned about what this means for our ability to care for people, now and in the coming months,” said Fleishman. “It has been difficult, our team is overloaded. Everyone is working hard. Everyone is looking to pull and use every resource to take care of everyone we can. “
Currently in North Carolina, 21% of inpatients are expected to have or are suspected of having COVID. The Christmas and New Year meetings have doctors and health workers preparing for even more in the coming weeks.
“It is reaching a crisis point, if it were a tsunami or hurricane, I would say it is now,” said Fleishman. “The damage is here (and) we are dealing with the emergency of trying to manage it, except that it is much longer than a hurricane. This will continue. “
“We are certainly experiencing an increase since Thanksgiving,” said McCaskill. “Our concern, which we anticipate, is probably the meetings that took place at Christmas and next New Year.”
In addition, Fleishman says the overwhelming numbers are leading to a nursing shortage – a problem that many other parts of the country are also facing.
“I would like people to think about this pandemic in the same way that I think our people did when we were in World War II or during the Great Depression,” he said. “Everyone had to come forward and do their part. We need everyone to do your part “.