Health Minister Christine Elliot announced Wednesday morning a temporary emergency order which allows hospitals to move chronically ill patients into long term care or retirement homes to free up space for COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
Christine Elliot says a patient cannot be moved unless one key measure is first taken.
“Every effort will be made to ensure patients have been fully vaccinated before being transferred. Every effort possible will be made for any transfer to be as close as possible to a patients family.” said Elliot.
Doctors must also agree a patients medical needs can be met in a long term care setting before approving the move of a patient.
Hospitals can only move a patient when its absolutely necessary and will not compromise the patients medical condition in anyway.
