Sixty-three patients have been transferred to surrounding hospitals as COVID-19 cases continue to mount in Windsor-Essex.
Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) President and CEO David Musyj said it's part of a provincial mandate to help hotspots make room for COVID-19 patients at Thursday night's board meeting.
He says Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) has taken 55 patients that require beds but no longer need acute care and two have been sent to Bluewater Health in Sarnia.
Musyj says six patients have been sent to London Health Sciences Centre.
"We want to make sure that who we're sending to London meet a higher acuity level because they have that ability to care for that type of patient," he says.
He tells AM800 News the patients aren't COVID-19 related, but COVID-19 patients could also be transferred to other regions if needed.
"London will take COVID-19 patients and non-COVID patients," says Musyj. "Bluewater and Chatham would rather not take COVID-19 patients unless they're being moved for critical care."
He says HDGH recently dedicated two of its units to throw WRH a lifeline.
"They've taken them as well, that's a huge relief," he says. "If we didn't have that we'd be in a lot of trouble."
As of Thursday night, there are 62 in-patients at Windsor Regional Hospital being treated for the virus.
Musyj says the hospitals overall capacity is a moving target from near to over its limit on a daily bases due to confirmed and potential COVID-19 cases.
The hospital has already postponed all non-emergency procedures.