May 19, 2022
Covid surge hits hospital staff
Counties Manukau District Health Board is facing the challenge of the latest Covid-19 surge.
Chief medical officer Andrew Connelly says the number of cases is higher than reported, as many whānau deal with it at home.
“It hasn’t led to as much pressure from patients coming into the hospitals but it has led to a surge in staff being sick and staying away, so it remains a real challenge for us,” he says.
Dr Connolly says the staff shortages are slowing efforts to clear the backlog of elective surgeries, but increased cooperation between DHBs is helping to reduce other waiting lists, with outpatient clinics being extremely busy.