The South Bruce Grey Health Centre is dealing with H1N1 cases and an overall increase in Emergency Room visits.
Emergency Room visits in Kincardine, Chesley, Walkerton, and Durham are all up — with patients complaining of flu-like symptoms.
South Bruce-Grey Health Centre CEO Paul Davies says there are more than five patients with H1N1 across all of the sites.
He says most of the increased ER traffic is so far in one community — Kincardine — but not all of those patients necessarily have H1N1.
Davies says the health unit is kept constantly up to date on the number of flu cases through electronic reporting.
Davies isn’t aware of any staff coming down with H1N1, but says that’s why they’ve taken strict measures to limit one visitor per patient, and only from 2 PM to 4 PM each afternoon.
The Family Birthing Unit at the Walkerton hospital is also off limits because H1N1 is a bigger risk for pregnant women and new mothers.
Davies says the measures are meant to protect patients who don’t have H1N1 from getting it and having it spread throughout the hospital, and adds that the virus is spread through human contact.
Davies says limiting the number of people coming in an out of the hospital will help control habits and encourage them to clean their hands before entering patient areas.
The South Bruce-Grey Health Centre has received 20 doses of H1N1 vaccine for staff.
Davies is a bit concerned that it isn’t arriving fast enough from public health to meet the demand.
He says his job as CEO is to make sure patients are protected and well-cared for.
Davies says if there aren’t enough healthy staff, it’s a problem, so front-line workers need to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
All Emergency Rooms and outpatient clinics at South Bruce-Grey Health Centre hospitals remain open.