EDMONTON — Concern over staff shortages and cuts to primary health care in Alberta continues to mount following service reductions at multiple rural and large urban hospitals across the province.

“We knew coming out of Stage 3 and coming into the easing of restrictions, we’re still going to have pressures with staffing throughout the province this summer,” Tyler Shandro, Alberta’s health minister, said to media on Monday.

Last week, 12 beds were closed down at Lacombe’s only hospital adding to a recent trend of downsizing across health care facilities.

One of Edmonton’s largest hospitals, the Royal Alexandra, lost six beds in their emergency room department this month.

“We’ve never seen anything like this, where there are consistently six beds closed 24/7 for an entire summer,” Shazma Mithani, an emergency doctor at the Royal Alexander and the Stollery Children’s Hospital, said.

“The emergency room still remains open,” Shandro added. “People who need emergency care can and should continue to go to the Royal Alex. The folks there are still able to continue to get the critical care they need.”

‘WE’RE WORKING AT BASICALLY HALF CAPACITY’

In a media presser on Tuesday, David Shepherd, the health critic for the NDP, said there needs to be an action plan in place to stop further closures and reopen the beds.

“Alberta’s frontline heroes are burned out,” he said.

“If the minister expected it you would think he would have done something about it. Instead he’s left it to those on the frontline to deal with his inaction.”

Mithani told CTV News Edmonton this decision directly affects their ability to care for patients in the emergency department in the most effective and timely way possible, inevitably leading to longer wait times.

“As you start to lose staff the amount of work that is left behind for the people who are still working in the emergency department increases,” she said.

“I think I would be lying if I’d say there aren’t cases in which the quality of care suffers because there aren’t enough people to offer it,” Parker Vandermeer, a rural Alberta doctor, added.

“We’re working at basically half capacity.”

‘PEOPLE WANT TO WORK WHERE THEY’RE VALUED’

Mithani described burnout in health care as a moral injury. She told to CTV News this last year has been one of the most trying years of her career.

“To see people who are so sick every single day it affects you,” she explained. “It affects you profoundly at a mental level, at a physical level, and at an emotional level.”

“We’re used to trying to help people get better and this last year unfortunately has been the opposite of that,” she continued.

“It’s hard to even find solace and joy in the simple things in your home life because you’ve been carrying the weight of what’s happening on shift at work into the rest of your life as well. It’s a devastating place to be in.”

Both Mithani and Vandermeer said in the last year but specifically in recent months a number of nurses and physicians have left to pursue areas of medicine that are slower paced or they’ve left the province altogether.

“I don’t know if I would expect any different from my friends and colleagues, why would they stay around and take that sort of treatment if there are other options available,” Mithani said.

“People want to work where they’re valued and respected and Alberta is not the current spot for that,” Vandermeer added.

‘WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THOSE ISSUES’

During a press conference in Calgary, Premier Jason Kenney told reporters they’ve increased the provincial budget by $900 million for physician recruitment and retention.

“We have more doctors working in Alberta now than we ever had in our history,” he said.

“We’re going to focus on those issues,” Shandro said. “The budget has not been cut, its not going to be cut.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Ryan Harding

EDMONTON — There have been no deaths due to COVID-19 in Alberta for the last five straight days, according to the province’s latest data.

Monday’s data update included numbers from Friday through Sunday which showed a three-day increase of 90 new cases.

It’s the longest stretch without a COVID-19 death since a seven-day streak last September.

The last COVID-19 fatality was recorded on July 6. Death reporting is often delayed and the date of death is often different than the date it was reported.

Also Monday, active cases fell to 624, for the lowest case count since July 11 of last year.

There are currently 112 COVID-19 patients in hospital including 34 in intensive care units. 

At the end of Sunday, 74.1 per cent of eligible Albertans had received a first dose of vaccine. And, 55.3 per cent of those eligible had gotten a second dose.

The next data update is scheduled for Tuesday.

EDMONTON — Alberta health officials are defending mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers after the World Health Organization (WHO) said to be cautious about the practice.

Dr. Souya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said on Monday that citizens should be cautious about receiving vaccines from different manufacturers since there is limited data available about the practice.

“We are in a data-free, evidence-free zone as far as mix and match. There is limited data on mix and match,” she said.

The comments were made in reference to booster shots and have created alarm and confusion. CTV News has reached out to the WHO for clarification.

Government and health officials in several countries – including Canada – insist different doses are safe and effective.

Tom McMillan, Alberta Health spokesperson, told CTV News Edmonton in a statement that the province’s own advisory committee on vaccines has said second doses for vaccines can be safely used interchangeably.

“Every Albertan who received different vaccines for their first and second dose should feel good that they are fully immunized and have the greatest protection against all strains of COVID-19,” McMillan said.

“With COVID-19 still a significant health threat around the world, we continue to strongly recommend that everyone book the first appointment available, regardless of the type of vaccine.”

The spokesperson added that there is no evidence that mixing vaccines increases health risks or decreases levels of protection.

“In fact, some emerging evidence indicates that mixing vaccine types may increase protection,” McMillan said.

Dr. Noel Gibney, a critical care physician and co-chair of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association Pandemic Response Committee, told CTV News Edmonton in an email statement that the WHO’s comments are “excessively cautious.”

“There are studies showing improved immune response to vaccination with different COVID vaccines, and my knowledge, no significant side effects,” Gibney said.

“I think it’s one of those situations where perfection is the enemy of good.”

The doctor also noted how other non-COVID-19 vaccines that require booster shots or yearly immunizations are often mixed and matched with few side effects.

As of Monday, 74.1 per cent of Albertans have received at least one dose and 55.3 per cent are fully immunized with both doses.

Alberta Health is not releasing data on the number of people who received specific vaccines, McMillan said.

As of last week, Health Canada said at least 1.3 million Canadians opted to receive mixed doses. Of those who got their second shot between May 31 and June 26, one-in-five got a different vaccine than their first.

With files from The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Students from Red Deer College were the winners of the Capstone Project of the Year award.

The four, now former, students, were chosen for their innovative addition to a centuries-old design, the ram pump. It was the end-of-term project for Tyler Podgorenko, Michael Nosterud, Spencer Otto and James Greenough.

“All of a sudden it occurred to someone, one of our brilliant students who was experienced in these things, that you could add a Pelton wheel to it and generate electricity from it,” said Barry Cavanaugh, the CEO of the Association of Science and Engineering Professionals of Alberta (ASET).

“The potential for it is enormous.”

According to ASET, the ram pump has been used since the time of the Roman Empire. The pump used the potential energy of flowing water to pump the water to a higher elevation.

The new renewable energy device harnesses kinetic energy from a turbine and converts it into mechanical energy that’s stored in a connected battery to be used as needed. The resulting clean electricity is created without pollution, according to ASET.

The group wanted to use the technical knowledge they learned in school to modernize the age-old invention.

Adding the technical aspects we used in school, like pressure sensors, flow sensors and solenoid valves, really gave the ability to add more description and just more knowledge and technical aspects to the already original process,” said Tyler Podgorenko, one of the winners.

The pump could be used for numerous applications, such as generating electricity for rural housing, livestock operations and providing water access in Third World countries, according to ASET.

The Capstone Project of the Year was started in 2017 by ASET. Seven other finalists from NAIT, SAIT, Red Deer College and Lethbridge College were also in the running for the award this year. 

EDMONTON — A child was sent to hospital with “serious” injuries after an SUV and a train were involved in a collision Sunday, according to RCMP.

The incident happened at Highway 2A and Township Road 470 around 3:50 p.m.

RCMP said an SUV was driving westbound on Township Road 470 when the collision with the moving train happened at a crossing.

The woman driving the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. A child in the vehicle was taken to hospital by paramedics.

Wetaskiwin RCMP and Canadian Pacific police are investigating the collision.