'The perfect storm': Hospitals facing critical situation as COVID ICU beds fall to only one availabl

Posted: Aug 10, 2021 / 08:54 AM CDT / Updated: Aug 10, 2021 / 09:03 AM CDT



LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – There is only one COVID ICU bed in the state, available in southern Arkansas, with five hospitals in southern Arkansas showing limited COVID bed space available.

“We have nowhere to send COVID-19 patients within the State of Arkansas. There is limited bed capacity at trauma centers increasing pressure on the time-sensitive healthcare system,” said Jeff Tabor, program director for the COVIDComm system, which helps match covid-19 patients with hospitals.

Tabor says some patients are so critical at rural hospitals that they can’t be transferred to other hospitals not just because of bed space, but they are also just too ill.

According to Tabor, normally gravely ill rural patients would be transferred to a major trauma facility, such as Little Rock.

Sniphttps://www.kark.com/news/health/coronavirus/the-perfect-storm-rural-hospitals-facing-critical-situation-as-covid-icu-beds-fall-to-only-one-available-in-arkansas/