190 Calgary doctors warn emergency rooms 'collapsing' in open letter
A collective of approximately 200 emergency room doctors in Calgary has issued an open letter to the residents of Alberta, raising an alarm about the dire state of emergency departments and the challenges they face in delivering prompt and effective care to patients.
The letter emphasizes the pervasive signs of a capacity crisis, stating that wait times in Calgary's emergency departments have reached alarming levels. Some patients have been forced to wait for up to 15 hours before receiving medical attention, and during this prolonged wait, their conditions often deteriorate, causing significant concern for the doctors involved. These physicians, constituting around 75 percent of the medical professionals working in Calgary's four adult hospitals, stress that they are expressing their concerns as independent practitioners and not as representatives of Alberta Health Services or the Alberta Medical Association.
In an interview with CBC News, Dr. Katie Lin, an ER physician and one of the signatories, expressed her distress at witnessing patients languishing in hallways and waiting rooms, deprived of the care they desperately require. The doctors aspire to provide high-quality, round-the-clock healthcare to the people of Calgary and Alberta, but they find themselves increasingly overwhelmed and unable to meet the growing demand.
Dr. Lin, who serves at Foothills Medical Centre and Rockyview General Hospital, revealed that although the nature of the stressors has changed since the peak of the pandemic, the pressure on emergency rooms remains unabated. Patient volumes continue to be alarmingly high, while the availability of beds and staff falls short. Consequently, patients often receive treatment in hallways and waiting rooms due to the lack of adequate resources. Dr. Lin highlighted the challenging scenarios faced by physicians working night shifts, where crowded waiting rooms, staff shortages, and the necessity of resuscitating patients in hallways further compound the difficulties.
The letter underscores the common occurrence of having 40 to 50 individuals waiting for medical attention at any given time. The emergency departments are described as being on the verge of collapse, and frontline healthcare workers are reaching their breaking point. The authors of the letter implore readers not to endure any longer, as they witness patients suffering without any resolution in sight.
The doctors note that patients who are admitted to the hospital often experience extended stays in the emergency room, awaiting available beds in the wards. This situation persists for days, and due to staff shortages, certain sections of the emergency departments have to be periodically closed. Dr. Sean Fair, an ER physician at Rockyview and Foothills, emphasized the gradual erosion of emergency department care, asserting that healthcare providers strive every day to deliver safe, timely, and compassionate care to Albertans. However, the current circumstances have reached a tipping point.
In an interview with CBC News, Dr. Fair emphasized the severity of the crisis and revealed that patients are dying while waiting in the emergency room—an unprecedented occurrence in Calgary for many years. When queried about these deaths, Alberta Health Services did not directly respond, choosing instead to acknowledge the concerns expressed by the physicians and offering a meeting to address the issue.
The group of physicians contends that the decline in emergency department care stems from a shortage of hospital beds, as well as a dearth of frontline ER staff and family physicians. According to the letter, on any given day, approximately one-quarter of emergency beds in the Calgary zone are occupied by admitted patients who have no available beds in the hospital. On particularly challenging days, this percentage can skyrocket to 80 percent, leaving minimal space for incoming patients.
From the patients' perspective, languishing in the emergency department for days is an unimaginably dreadful and inhumane experience, as noted in the letter. Moreover, staffing shortages have become increasingly acute as burned-out emergency room doctors and nurses leave their positions. Dr. Fair highlighted the exodus of healthcare providers, with many physicians reducing their practices or quitting altogether and seeking opportunities elsewhere.
The absence of family physicians for an estimated 650,000 Albertans has contributed to the rising number of patients resorting to the emergency room for care. As Dr. Lin explained, individuals who lack access to primary care often struggle with chronic diseases that deteriorate over time, compelling them to seek urgent medical attention.
The group of physicians urges Alberta Health Services and the upcoming governing party to confront the issues plaguing the healthcare system. They implore Albertans to cast their votes in the provincial election on May 29 with healthcare at the forefront of their minds. Recognizing the ongoing concerns and the prevailing crisis within emergency departments across the province, Dr. Lin expresses deep concern and apprehension regarding the sustainability of the current situation, sentiments shared by her colleagues.
