Dr. Paul Parks, the head of emergency medicine for the Alberta Medical Association, says the triaging of COVID-19 patients in the province has begun — with some critically ill patients not getting the ventilators they need..Parks told the Canadian Press the decision on who should be on ventilators comes as surgical procedures across the province are being cancelled as hospitals are being overwhelmed with the fourth wave of the COVID-19 virus, spurred by the Delta variant..Parks told the CP it’s not at the point yet where doctors must make on-the-spot, life-and-death decisions..But he warned the scenario is not far away and, when it comes, the second stage of triage will follow quickly, including making those same decisions about children..Alberta Health Services is doing everything it can, but Park added the government has failed to lead by imposing lax health restrictions and by allowing mass gatherings, including in schools and at sports events..Parks called for schools to be shut down immediately and fans should be banned from sporting events..The head of the AHS, Dr. Verna Yiu, said ICU wards haven’t been completely overrun this week because some of the patients have died..AHS reported daily death tolls this week of 29, 20 and 17.
