There’s been a record number of coronavirus cases to hit Mississippi hospitals. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says the nearly 700 cases are straining the state’s health care system. He has issued a public health order that will prevent hospitals in six counties from taking on procedures that are not medical emergencies and require hospitalizations. He says “This also is gonna be a fluid situation where we’ll probably have to add additional counties as this continues to expand. We’re not only seeing this numerically but we’re getting reports and complaints on a regular basis about people unable to get care because there’s nowhere to send patients.”
He says some of those residents are seeking care out of state because hospitals have no remaining beds available. “People who have COVID-19 or other medical problems are not gonna get the care they need. And we’re at the point where that’s happening and that’s why we’re taking this step,” says Dobbs. “Certainly, we’ve done it with a lot of communications with physicians and with hospitals so they understand that it’s coming and then try and do it in a way that’s minimally disruptive, but also optimally effective.”
The University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of the hospitals to pause elective procedures. Dr. Alan Jones is extremely concerned about the high hospitalization rates. “You know at our hospital, we stay on the verge of kinda full, and have constant challenges with capacity and what we’re trying to do with all of the patients that we have to care for, and just layering on just another group of complex patients makes our strained situation even more strained,” says Dr. Jones.
The order will affect hospitals in Hinds, Rankin, Madison, Forest, Jones and Washington Counties. Health officials say the public needs to embrace wearing masks so these hospitalization rates can decrease.
