By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Dr. Kevin Harada, Chief of Staff at Northern Montana Hospital is pleading with the public to take COVID-19 seriously as the healthcare system continues to be under stress.
“We’ve seen a significant spike in admissions. The hospital is busy, and unfortunately we’ve had exposures to our staff which has put the staffing of the hospital at a difficult level. I can definitely say that we’ve been strained and pushed. Our capacity is still acceptable, we’re more worried about our staffing. But we have definitely seen a significant spike in hospitalizations and unfortunately, we’ve seen a significant spike in deaths as well.”
Harada says they have been planning for a COVID-19 surge for months, but no amount of preparation can properly ready front line healthcare workers for the experience of dealing with a large number of COVID patients.
“Fortunately, we got through the spring and summer pretty unscathed. It appears that now is our turn. Just reiterating that we’re here to serve the community and we’re here for the community. With regards to the staff, It’s hard on us. It’s been long days. We’ve had staff picking up shifts, covering for people. It’s been straining and we hope that it can slow down to give us a bit of a breather.”
In order to give the Hospital some relief, Harada is asking the community to do their part.
“We hope that we can start to get some community buy-in that can slow down these numbers. Because the rate of admissions, just from what we’ve seen from our ppartner hospitals in the state, a lot of people our at crisis levels. From a sustainability standpoint, it’s just something that has to be done. It will be hard if it doesn’t slow down, but for right now, we’re maintaining.”
Harada wants the community to know that it’s not just the most vulnerable people are getting sick from COVID-19.
“It’s hard to convey to some people, when you have a virus where 80 percent of people will recover just fine and have minimal symptoms, but the other 20 (percent) really struggle from this. This is something that we’ve never seen before. The amount of admissions that we’re seeing, the amount of people that we’re seeing in the emergency department and the severity of disease. We’ve seen it around here, where it’s affecting younger, healthier people, along with the older people as well. So this…is acting like the virus that we have been talking about. A lot of people don’t see it.”
And as for the idea some have floated arguing that it would be best to try and protect the vulnerable and let everyone else go about their everyday lives, Harada says that isn’t feasible right now, and helps explain why there has been an outbreak at Northern Montana Care Center.
“It’s just impossible to protect the vulnerable if the level (of COVID) in the community is too high. And I think what we saw was the level in the community was escalating, so it’s bound to get into the more vulnerable populations.”
Harada adds that things have calmed down at the Care Center, with no new cases in the last week.
And for levels of COVID-19 to decrease across the area, Harada says more people need to buy-in to health recommendations.
“Prevention is the best thing right now. Avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks, hand hygiene. I know it’s cliche and I know it has been said a lot, but it really can’t be said enough. Because even in these times, we still have people who refuse to do it or still think that it’s not helping. As of right now, prevention is the best thing we have to fight COVID.”
