‘More death and dying’: QLD hospital buckles as Covid cases and hospitalisations surge

Doctors are seeing “more death and dying” as increasingly sick patients flood Queensland hospitals, a leading emergency medico says.

Doctors are seeing “more death and dying” than they’re used to and are struggling to keep up with demand as increasingly sick patients flood Queensland hospitals, a leading emergency medico says.

The sobering comments from AMA Queensland Ramping Roundtable chair Dr Kim Hansen come as health experts urge businesses to encourage patrons and staff to wear masks again in response to growing Covid-19 cases.

Combined Covid and flu cases in hospitals have surged to almost 1000 in Queensland, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk encouraged people to wear masks indoors following an emergency national cabinet meeting on Saturday.

Dr Hansen told Weekend Sunrise people are coming into the hospital “who are so sick from Covid and we know they’re not going to survive”.

“We just have to do everything we can and hope that they might have a different outcome to what we expect, but we are seeing a lot more death and dying than we’re used to and that does take a toll on us,” she said.

“The patients are coming in more and more numbers and they’re sicker and sicker,

“And with less staff around, we really just can’t keep up with the demand.

“ We see sick people, injured people in the waiting room for hours that we know need to be there, we know they need treatment, but we just can’t get to them in time.”

Dr Hansen said it has been a “frustrating” situation for the Spring Hill hospital.

Exterior pictures of the St Andrews War Memorial Hospital at Spring Hill, Spring Hill. Picture David Clark

“We can’t do what we’re trained to do properly without adequate space and resources. And my colleagues and I talk about moral injury now, how it hurts us as well, but we know that patients and their families are suffering a lot more than we are,” she said.

“We see people come in who are so sick from Covid. We just have to do everything we can and hope that they might have a different outcome to what we expect, but we are seeing a lot more death and dying than we’re used to and that does take a toll on us.”

AMA Queensland Ramping Roundtable chair Dr Kim Hansen said “we are not used to seeing so many people dying and it is very hard for all of us, because we are in our jobs to save lives”.

“These are really difficult times in emergency departments – we are seeing more people come in who are very sick with Covid,” she said.

“We know that we won’t be able to save them, and that is very difficult.”

Dr Hansen urged eligible Queenslanders to get their Covid booster shot and flu vaccination.

“Do everything you can to keep yourself as well as possible and out of the ED,” she said.

Originally published as ‘More death and dying’: QLD hospital buckles as Covid cases and hospitalisations surge