Emergency department swamped
Hospital urges non-urgent patients to try an alternative
Where is Noah Wylie when we need him?
Actually, even the star of The Pitt couldn’t fix the current problem at Campbellford Memorial Hospital. March Break has started with a crowded emergency department and a more-than-full in-patient area.
These factors have combined to mean long wait times in the Emergency Department. Potential patients are urged to try other options if their problem is not urgent. The hospital’s website has a list of options you can try.
“Our inpatient occupancy is at 113 per cent today,” spokesperson Peter Mitchell said on Monday. “This means some patients who need to be admitted are staying in the Emergency Department longer than usual. In turn, this creates additional pressure in the ED and can lead to longer wait times for others coming in for care.”
“Our teams are working hard to assess and treat patients as quickly and safely as possible, prioritizing those with the most urgent medical needs,” a news release says. “We understand that waiting can be frustrating and stressful, and we truly appreciate your patience, kindness, and understanding.”
Mitchell said the current backlog is not caused by the flu, COVID or any other specific ailments.
How big is Alto’s corridor?
Stories about the Alto High-Speed Rail line, including mine, refer to its need for a 60-metre corridor with tracks and fencing, which got me wondering how big is that anyway?
Well, it’s 197 feet. That compares to a Canadian football field which is 59 metres wide and 100 metres long, not counting the end zones.
But a better comparison is to our other transportation corridors. Highway 407 and the proposed Highway 413 west of Toronto have a corridor that is 170 metres (560 feet) wide. It consists of 110 metres for the road and a 60-metre allowance for transit.
So, if you want to imagine what it would be like taking the Alto from Peterborough to Ottawa along the possible southern route, just imagine the corridor is about one-third the width of the 407. It helps to understand how much farmland would be used and to envision how farmers and drivers could cope.
Broadband installation continues this spring
Installation of fibre-optic cable to improve broadband service in Trent Hills is continuing with work the furthest along west of Campbellford, says Scott Berry, Communications Officer, Capital Projects, with Northumberland County.
About 66 per cent of the households in the area where cable has been installed have agreed to have it connected to their houses, he said.
Across the county, about 920 kilometres of conduit has been installed and more than 200 kilometres of fire connected.
The eastern and northern section of Trent Hills will be the last part of the county to get service. “The build plan for this area is currently undergoing final revisions,” Berry says. “Start of construction and communications encouraging residents to provide consent for connection are expected to be issued early this spring.”
Across the project overall, adoption levels vary by area depending on when communications have occurred and when construction started, he said. In areas where outreach has been underway for some time, uptake rates are reaching the 70 to 80 per cent.
The county estimates 11,000 unserved and underserved households will be able to connect.
You can view a map of construction progress and check when it reaches your road here -- Broadband in Northumberland - Northumberland County
Internet, TV and phone service is provided by Axle Telecom with a variety of packages.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.