Alabama sets new record high 7-day average of daily cases of COVID

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 2372

Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
13347901729
Date: Nov 16 2020 8:14 PM

ALABAMA: When ambulances notifies the 911 Center they are transporting a patient to one of the two local hospitals in Houston County, the 911 Center rolls off multiple diversion advisories for both hospitals.

The diversion advisories are ER ( Emergency Department ) diversion, med surge diversion, and more. The ambulance transport has to make the patient aware, if possible, they will encounter extended delays and have the patient sign a diversion form.

This is extremely difficult for the EMS ambulance transport units. It also troubling when EMS, Fire and/or law enforcement is telling family members they are not sure which hospital the patient will be transported to.

A true life example in Houston County: I ( Rickey Stokes ) rolled into a medical emergency as the ambulance arrived. The EMS providers were performing CPR on the patient. The wife and another family member were in the same room and I was able to get them to another room and away from watching the EMS providers work to save the patients life. I then called the son and told him what was going on, not to come home because the EMS providers would be transporting by the time he arrived, but WAIT ... unable to tell him what hospital the EMS providers would be able to transport to because of diversion.

So about 15 minutes elapsed with EMS providers working to save the life before I could call the son and report which hospital EMS was transporting to. A helpless feeling.

Before COVID-19 arrived in March of this year hospitals have been on and off diversions. It was so bad with fire and EMS being woke up constantly with notifications through the night the 911 Centers now tell the EMS providers as they transport rather than sending notices throughout the night.

The fire and EMS providers already are constantly woke up for calls much less the advisories. Some of the EMS calls in the middle of the night will blow your mind ... my back has been hurting for two days so now at 2 AM they call EMS. Even calls my toe has hurt for two days ... well do not call the ambulance get in the car and go to the urgent care walk in clinic.

But with that said if you think something serious is happening never hesitate to call. Waiting could be to late!

COVID increasing... articles from five days ago of caution on the numbers and today the caution is now a reality.