Doctors are sounding the alarm : a glaring lack of competent personnel likely to endanger the safety of the patients of the Auberge aux Trois Pignons.
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26 July 2020
Updated on July 27, 2020 at 7: 20 am
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Two doctors are sounding the alarm about the situation at the Auberge aux Trois Pignons
Judith Desmeules
The Sun
“We are shaken, very disturbed by what we saw”, is launching two doctors about the current situation between the four walls of the private residence Auberge aux Trois Pignons in Quebec city. They are sounding the alarm : a glaring lack of competent staff may compromise patient safety.
The Auberge aux Trois Pignons has to deal with an outbreak of COVID-19 from the 11 July. On Friday, we had 27 positive cases and six deaths.
The two doctors who have chosen to share the Sun and the alarming situation that has taken place there currently are struggling to find the words to express their fears. They have passed through many paths before you to speak on the public square.
“What I’ve seen in the last few days, it far exceeds what I could see in my professional life. Patients also vulnerable, cut off from their family… It’s the middle of the most dysfunctional in which we worked. The situation that we want to denounce is serious, they want things to change quickly”, say they.
At the beginning of the health crisis, Dr. Karyne Cordeau and a medical colleague volunteered to help the places of outbreak of the virus to take hold. They worked in the hot zones of three to four accommodation centres infected with the virus in the region of Quebec. The worst? By far, the Auberge aux Trois Pignons, this private residence in Beauport.
“We talk about cases of choking because the food trays were not checked, wounds that have become degraded, of poor management of diabetes, repeated falls that could have been avoided, stays on the ground for extended care, hygiene neglected. It lacks the arms to do it all, and the material of the residence is outdated. The good will of staff is not sufficient, the nursing staff must sometimes move between areas, hot and cold due to lack of time,” said Dr. Chalk.
In spite of everything, the medical care had not been affected.
The Sun, Erick Labbé
In need of reinforcement
Little time will be enough for the doctors to raise several issues in the residence. Dr. Jason stayed for six days and his colleague, the nine.
The two women are sent in residences for care of patients with the virus. They provide the care necessary, with the appropriate equipment, to patients who do not wish to be transferred to the hospital. Such a transfer may also lead to the psychological and physical consequences for patients. Having physicians on-site also allows you to intervene quickly in case of respiratory distress, and symptoms of COVID-19 may worsen rapidly.
If a patient’s condition deteriorates, the doctors can intervene and prevent transfer of hazardous, unwanted and suffering to the hospital. “The lack of staff is threatening this way of doing there. We want to avoid transfers that are not necessary.”
However, with a lack of staff, all the residents suffer the consequences, not just those who have contracted the COVID-19.
“As a doctor, we can not close the eyes. When you find yourself in front of someone who requires care, we do not have the choice to help. It is not our task to care of residents who are not infected with the virus. The residence is usually covered by 25 doctors, none of them have volunteered to help, COVID-19 or not,” suggests Dr. Jason.
She and her colleague are clear : they never put the blame on the nursing staff trained on the spot come to lend strong hand to the residence.
“These people are for the most part exceptional. We worked with people in gold. Dedicated people, humans who have not counted their hours. When these people will be at the end of the roll, or will fall sick, who will take their place?” raises the colleague of Dr. Chalk, who has preferred to keep anonymity.
The problem brings so many fears and questions in relation to the management staff of the CIUSSS of the Capitale-Nationale and the private residence. The two women are among other things the spokesperson of several nurses or attendants who have crossed their path to the residence, these people can’t take it anymore, and they are afraid for their patients, but they did not dare speak for fear of reprisal.
“What I’ve seen in the last few days, it far exceeds what I could see in my professional life. Patients also vulnerable, cut off from their family… It’s the middle of the most dysfunctional in which we worked. The situation that we want to denounce is serious, they want things to change quickly ”
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Dr. Karyne Cordeau and another colleague doctor
Who is to blame?
One thing is for certain, the CIUSSS of the Capitale-Nationale is aware of the situation of the Auberge aux Trois Pignons. On Tuesday, the colleague of Dr. Jason’s talk to even with senior managers to explain the facts. She made her requests, and explained the “events shocking” she had witnessed.
“In the last week, questions were asked, it was requested that things change. I even spoke with the civil security. It was felt that there were concerns and a listening ear. But nothing has changed or it was insufficient, [Saturday] the situation was still unacceptable,” she said, still troubled by the difficult week that she has been through.
Another sound of bell resonates loudly in the minds of the two doctors.
“Just after the residence to be declared a hotbed of outbreak, there have been resignations in the block to the Hostel, which was created from the outset a lack of actual important,” says Dr. Jason.
The doctors sent in reinforcement to be found even to manage administrative tasks, such as the lack of ink to print the prescriptions for the medicines.
“This is not a normal part of the job of the owner of the place or of the CIUSSS, I had to call for it to rule. During this time, I don’t care about the patients,” she adds.
They are, therefore, several questions : what is happening with the leaders of the residency, the physicians associated have they even been called? Would there be a too high administrative burdens at the CIUSSS?
Attention to the second wave
Dr. Jason and his colleague are especially concerned for the next few places of outbreak, for the second wave, which is becoming more dreaded.
“If it was at the beginning of the pandemic, it would be normal to be in a period of adjustment. But here it is several months that the COVID is in our lives, it is difficult to understand how there is a lack of staff at this point, and while it is supposed to be prepared. We had planned for the summer. That is what is going on? How is it that there are no additional persons to fill the vacancies?” says Dr. Jason.
Yes, the regular activities have resumed in the hospitals, which occupies several employees from a number of quarters that had availability a few months ago.
“This is not a good excuse. A-t-we dropped the guard too quickly? It was ill-prepared for this outbreak and if there had been another at the same time, it would have had to transfer massive patients to hospitals for lack of staff, it is a matter of concern,” adds the colleague anonymous.
Resources, the two doctors believe that they exist, CIUSSS of the Capitale-Nationale region should be able to free them easily to help patients who are most vulnerable.
“Some situations likely to lead to serious consequences, and it is unsettling and unacceptable. I have a lot of difficulty understanding how you can get this speech out there today, several months after the start of the pandemic. I’m starting to have enough experience in hot zone to say that it has no damned good sense,” says Dr. Jason.
