Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://globalnews.ca/news/2468529/refugee-flu-outbreak-paralyzes-alberta-social-services/
January 21, 2016 5:00 pm
Updated: January 21, 2016 6:28 pm
Refugee flu outbreak ?paralyzes? Alberta social services: memo
By Monique Muise, Quinn Ohler and Emily Mertz Global News
The number of ?acutely ill? Syrian refugees residing in Edmonton in recent weeks has been much greater than expected, an internal letter reveals, and at least one social services agency has been struggling to cope.
The letter, obtained by Global News earlier this week, was written by a director at the East Edmonton Health Centre. In the message, Karen DeViller writes ?the refugees arriving to Edmonton are more acutely ill upon arrival than what we were told to expect? and that Edmonton?s Catholic Social Services (CSS) agency ?is inundated with constant needs to transport these refugees to an ED (emergency department) or medicentre or urgent care clinic.?
DeViller then explains in the letter that the health centre is seeking to recruit nurses to help doctors treat the refugees in their hotels or other temporary lodging, thus reducing the need to transport so many of them.
?The volume is so high that CSS is almost paralyzed to do anything else because of this ? so we are exploring other options to support them,? she writes.
A spokesperson for Catholic Social Services said that while the letter seems alarming, it was triggered by something very common during Canadian winter: the flu...
January 21, 2016 5:00 pm
Updated: January 21, 2016 6:28 pm
Refugee flu outbreak ?paralyzes? Alberta social services: memo
By Monique Muise, Quinn Ohler and Emily Mertz Global News
The number of ?acutely ill? Syrian refugees residing in Edmonton in recent weeks has been much greater than expected, an internal letter reveals, and at least one social services agency has been struggling to cope.
The letter, obtained by Global News earlier this week, was written by a director at the East Edmonton Health Centre. In the message, Karen DeViller writes ?the refugees arriving to Edmonton are more acutely ill upon arrival than what we were told to expect? and that Edmonton?s Catholic Social Services (CSS) agency ?is inundated with constant needs to transport these refugees to an ED (emergency department) or medicentre or urgent care clinic.?
DeViller then explains in the letter that the health centre is seeking to recruit nurses to help doctors treat the refugees in their hotels or other temporary lodging, thus reducing the need to transport so many of them.
?The volume is so high that CSS is almost paralyzed to do anything else because of this ? so we are exploring other options to support them,? she writes.
A spokesperson for Catholic Social Services said that while the letter seems alarming, it was triggered by something very common during Canadian winter: the flu...