The P.E.I. Health Department is working on a plan to create more long-term care beds and it isn't waiting for the construction of new buildings.
'We can't wait for three and four and five years to build public manors.'— Health Minister Doug Currie
A shortage of beds has been putting pressure on the QEH and Prince County Hospital as patients wait there for placement. Surgeries have been delayed and ambulances diverted in the last month as chronic patients ready for release from hospital filled beds needed by acute patients.
In some cases, it's also forcing patients into facilities far from their families because there's no immediate opening in the community the patient wants to live in.
Health Minister Doug Currie told CBC News Friday a report to be delivered next month will look at ways to create more beds using existing facilities.
It "could be anywhere from 75 to 200 beds spread across the province to manage the present situation," said Currie.
"We obviously know that we need long-term care beds, but we can't wait for three and four and five years to build public manors to be able to do that. So we have to come up with strategies to meet the demand and take the pressures off."
Currie said he hopes to be opening new beds in as little as 12 months. He said the province is also working on a long-term plan to build more manors.
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