Other Ontario pediatric hospitals not requesting help as Red Cross heads to CHEO
Several major Ontario pediatric hospitals say they are not asking for external staff support, as Ottawa's CHEO prepares to bring in Red Cross staff until at least the end of the year.
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and Hamilton's McMaster Children's Hospital have not requested staff support from outside organizations, but say they continue to redeploy staff and cut back on surgeries to help backstop stretched critical-care units.
Meanwhile, the Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre says it does not require assistance from external organizations.
CHEO says two teams of nine Canadian Red Cross personnel are arriving at the Ottawa pediatric hospital this week to work rotating overnight shifts in support of its clinical-care teams.
The hospital says it expects the teams will be there until January, when it will reassess.
Pediatric hospitals across Ontario have for weeks reported surging admissions as they contend with a triple-threat of respiratory syncytial virus, the seasonal flu and COVID-19.
CHEO's chief executive Alex Munter says influenza is the big problem now, as RSV cases stabilize.
The hospital opened a second intensive care unit in November to treat what it called an unprecedented number of critically ill babies and children.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2022
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.