Northland Omicron patients will go to a makeshift facility if Covid-19 cases take up too many beds at Whangārei Hospital.
Photo: 123RF
The hospital has been struggling with booming populations, undersized departments and dilapidated infrastructure, including sewage leaks in the medical wing walls.
Northland DHB's plan is to dedicate three wards and a unit to Covid-19-infected people in Whangārei.
If more than 97 cases need admission, they'll occupy a makeshift facility, or field hospital.
The DHB says bed space is already under huge pressure - the hospital was at 100 percent capacity earlier this month, without an Omicron surge.
National's health spokesman Dr Shane Reti (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kura) said that doesn't bode well.
"General ward bed occupancy across the sector is around about 80 to 90 percent, but Northland was at 100 percent, that means there are no beds... This is a failure of (Health Minister) Andrew Little to prepare the health system."
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said DHBs were making sure they had enough space to safely triage and assess people.
"That does mean in some places that either through commercial means, DHBs are requiring additional shelter should they need to build those triage spaces, or they may well have sought the advice of the Defence Force."
One in 10 Northlanders have still not had a Covid-19 vaccine, and they have some of the highest rates of comorbidities in the country.
That's why medical services general manager Tracey Schiebli told elected board members this morning there would be extra pressure on Te Tai Tokerau hospital beds.
"We could see a much higher proportion of patients being admitted than in other areas."
Patients were already showing up at hospital, because Northland primary care wait lists were too long.
General practitioner Dr Kyle Eggleton explained this to fellow board members.
"There's tremendous workforce pressures in primary care, and that messaging to go to primary care, might create kind of, disgruntled people, when they can't actually get in to see their GP. Because the waiting list to see a GP can sometimes be two to three weeks."
Health infrastructure expert Otago University professor Robin Gauld said Covid-19 field hospitals could help social distancing.
"Patients can be closely monitored as they would if they were in a corridor in the hospital or in the emergency department. The other alternative is to cram your corridors up with patients who just cannot be admitted to a ward because you've got bed blockage going on with too many patients."
The government predicts the Omicron outbreak will peak mid to late next month.