Durham, NC – Hospital beds across North Carolina fill with coronavirus patients. Healthcare facilities are worried about ration treatment in the next few weeks as hospitalizations increase.
“There just aren’t enough nurses to go around and take care of all the patients,” said Dr. Rodney McCaskill, chief medical officer of Johnston Health, said.
The Durham VA Hospital in Fulton Street, directly opposite Duke University Hospital, is expanding its COVID department to alleviate the burden of other facilities in the area.
“Remember, we care about people without COVID, and have to deal with COVID-19 on top of that. So, it really stretches, especially some of these smaller hospitals,” said David Wohl, a doctor at UNC.
In response, VA added another 15 beds to its COVID division.
“Even before the Christmas holidays, Durham VA has decided to expand its bed capacity and open a whole new unit,” said Genevieve Embree, deputy head of the public health office. ‘The beds in the unit are still going out. ‘
The health care system was able to reach hospitals like Duke to transfer more veterans into distress. On Tuesday, more than 3,300 North Carolinans were hospitalized with coronavirus.
Recently released White House data indicate that 87 of North Carolina’s counties, including Durham, Orange, and Wake, are a “hotspot” for COVID-19.
The VA also offers out-of-system vaccinations to Duke residents and medical students amid the recent increase in coronavirus cases.