The province’s health minister says the province has fifty per cent more ventilators than ICU beds, however, they have an opportunity to increase the number of beds.

John Haggie says one of the things they’ve done is look to the Health Professionals Council for recently retired respiratory therapists and to see who else has those skills—like cardiac perfusionists at the Health Sciences Centre—who could be called in to assist.

He says ventilator therapy is prescribed by physicians but administered by respiratory therapists, who are a key part of the ICU health system as well as the broader acute care system.

They recognize it is a pressure point, and are working on it.

Haggie says they are also working with the RNU, College of Registered Nurses and the College of Physicians and Surgeons to identify recently retired people who are available to come back.

He says they have options there, as well as diverting resources from other, less-pressured areas.