Winnipeg Children's Hospital declares emergency over flu

The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg is in a state of emergency as its nurses work around the clock to care for kidswith the flu, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority officials say.

• Spike in flu cases at Winnipeg Children's Hospital prompts visit restrictions

The Manitoba Nurses Union presidentSandiMowatsaid the hospital, including the pediatric and neonatal units,is at "critical capacity."

Nurses at the hospital have been working extra shifts, extra hours on those shifts and some have even given up their vacations to care for sick children, Mowat said.

The unioninvoked Article 10 of its collective agreement on Thursday, allowing staff with the necessary experience and training to be scheduled in areas other than those where they typically work in order to increase the pool of staff available.

"Unfortunately, the nurses are very tired and can't continue to work in that capacity, and so the employer is telling us they have to have the ability to move nurses [and] change rotations. That's why this has happened," Mowat said.

St. Boniface General Hospital declared a state of emergency on March 18 thatlasted for about three weeks. The hospital was responding to cases with strong symptoms of acommonflu strain, which iswhat's happening at Children's Hospital, Mowat said.

"Particularlythe adults were quite sick and a lot younger than normal.Theflustrain wasn't different, it was justthe way it was manifesting itselfthat caused quite a bit ofstrainon the system," shesaid.

"I mean, people get the flu every year and sometimes people get very sick but to end up in the ICU on a ventilator with a lot of machines hooked up to keep you alive is not as common."

Still, the public need not worry, Mowat said.

"I don't think that [people]should be concerned as much as just aware," she said.

Lori Lamont, vice-president and chief nursing officer of the health authority, said the Children's Hospital is actually seeing a lower number of cases of influenza, but those admitted to hospital are"sicker."

In addition to the flu, Children's Hospital has experienced a significant volume of patients for others reasons, too, Lamontsaid.

"That includes newborns who have required ICU care," she said.

"The number of children with the flu is now decreasing but the other impacts continue."