COVID-19 field hospital in Burlington accept its first patients

The COVID-19 field hospital at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington accepted its first patients on Tuesday.

“The Pandemic Response Unit was built to ensure that should the need arise, we would have additional bed capacity available to care for COVID-19 patients – and that time is now,” said Eric Vandewall, President and CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital, in a news release.

The hospital says it’s responding to increased pressure on hospital capacity in Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Norfolk, Brant and Burlington.

Rob MacIsaac, CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences, says opening the field hospital is a necessary step as the health-care system is stretched to its limits.

UPDATE: JBH’s Pandemic Response Unit – the 1st of its kind built in ON – is welcoming its 1st #COVID19 patients this week, in response to a heightened need for COVID-19 care & increasing pressure on regional hospital capacity. READ: https://t.co/7rFxneK3TL #burlon #hamont pic.twitter.com/PKTqcpZqUC

— Joseph Brant Hospital (@Jo_Brant) January 4, 2021

Hospitals in the region are identifying patients whose care has progressed enough to be treated at the field unit, after consulting with their families.

The field hospital was built in April as part of the hospital network’s capacity plan.