Closer to capacity
North Dakota facing strong demand at hospitals
By JAMES C. FALCON
editors@bhgnews.com
Hospitals in North Dakota have felt the strain of COVID-19 as an increase in patients have taken up beds.
Reports of hospitals across the state being at or near capacity have highlighted the severity of COVID-19, especially at a time when the delta variant has run rampant.
The North Dakota Department of Health reports that, as of Oct. 11, there are 200 staffed inpatient beds and 13 staffed ICU beds available in the state.
In a statement issued Oct. 1, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum warned that hospital capacity in the state is reaching “critical levels,” thus the need to help reduce the need for hospitalization.
“The pressure on hospitals and clinics in both our urban and rural areas is reaching critical levels, and we all need to do our part to avoid hospitalization and prevent further strain on these facilities and their staff as we work through this incredibly challenging time,” Burgum said in the release.
A few weeks ago, CHI St. Alexius Health’s hospitals in Garrison and Turtle Lake — McLean County’s only critical access hospitals — began to feel the burden as they saw an increase in patients.
