WESTERN BUREAU:

Health authorities at the Cornwall Regional Hospital are facing a serious dilemma, as inadequate bed space is reportedly forcing them to discharge patients who are still in need of hospital care.

"What we have is a lack of bed space, not a bed shortage," said Everton Anderson, the hospital's chief executive officer.

"This is largely due to the massive increase in the number of medical patients that have been accepted at the hospital in the last year and a half."

Within recent weeks, a number of patients who have been hospitalised have had to be discharged to make way for patients with more serious conditions.

Recent expansion

According to the Mr. Anderson, the recent expansion of the hospital to include a new dialysis centre, and a seven-bed intensive care unit, has resulted in a decrease in the number of bed space available.

He added that admitting medical patients to other floors at the institution is one of the interim measures now being put in place by the administration. Mr. Anderson said that the main area that has been affected is the waiting time for admission.

"Most patients are admitted through the accident and emergency department, and it is now taking a bit longer for the process to be completed. For this we apologise, but at this time we are trying our best to rectify the situation," he said.

The 10-storey Cornwall Regional Hospital has been the premier health facility in the western region since it began operating 33 years ago.