ONE MAN TONIGHT WHOSE WIFE HAS BEEN WAITING IN A HALLWAY FOR MORE THAN A Y.DA >> IT’S A REALLY BAD SITUATION. IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN. KELSI: RALPH BOYD IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS WIFE, ILEEN. >> SHE’S BEEN IN THE HALLWAY IN THE EMERGENCY DIVISION SINCE LAST NIG.HT LSKE RALPH SAYS HIS WIFE HAS NOCON-VID-RELATED PNEUMONIA AND WAS TOLD BY HER DOCTORS TO GET TO A HOSPITAL. BUT WHEN RALPH AND ILEEN SHOWED UP AT SOUTH LAKE HOSPITAINL CLERMONT, HE SAYS THEY WERE TOLD THERE WEREN’T ANY ROSOM AVAILABLE. >> I CALLED A NURSE ANTHD SAID THEY HAD LIKE 40 TIPAENTS STACKED UP, WAITING FOR ROOMS OUT THERE AND IT’S EVEN WSEOR AT ORMC. KELSI: WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT OVERCROWDING THAT THEY TOLD YOU? >> COV.ID KELSI: COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE SPIKED IN RECENT WEEKS. YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS GRAPH PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION JUST HOW DR AMATIC THAT SPIKE HAS BEEN RALPH PUTS A LOT OF THE BLAME ON MANY FLORIDIS'A’ DECISION TO BALK CDC RECOMMENDATIONS. >> WHY FIGHT AGAINST MKSAS WHY JOIN A CHORUS THAT DOUBTS THE EFFECTIVENESS OFHE T VACCE?IN IT’S STUP.ID KELSI: RALPH SAYS BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE AREUL FLY VACCINATED BUT SHE REMAINS AT HIGHER RISK GIVEN HER HEALTH CONDITION. FOR NOW SHE’S STILL BEGIN TREATED FOR THAT PNEUMONIA IN THE HALLWAY WITH NO IDEA IF OR WHEN SHE’LL GET A REAL RO.OM >> THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION. EVERY OTHER HOSPITAL IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IS IN THE SAME SITUATION. KELSI: I REACHED OUT TO ORLANDO HEALTH FOR COMMENT ON THE OVERCROWDING IN THEIR HOSPITALS. HOSPITAL REPS SENT ME A STATEMENT THAT READ IN PART, "LIKE MANY HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE PANDEMIC HAS PLACED HIGH DEMAND ON SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS AND FACILITIES. WHILE WAIT TIMES VARY GRYEA BASED ON DIFFERENT FACTORS WE ARE
Man says his wife is being treated for pneumonia in a hospital hallway due to COVID-19 overcrowding
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Updated: 11:39 AM CDT Aug 25, 2021
"It's a really bad situation. It shouldn't happen," Ralph Boyd said.Boyd is worried about his wife, telling sister station WESH: "She's been in the hallway in the emergency division since last night."Ralph said his wife has non-COVID-19-related pneumonia and was told by her doctors to get to a hospital.However, when Boyd and his wife Ileen showed up at South Lake Hospital in Clermont, Florida, he said they were told there weren't any rooms available."I called a nurse and they said they had like 40 patients stacked up waiting for rooms out there and it's even worse at ORMC,” Boyd said.He said the reason for the overcrowding was COVID-19.COVID-19 hospitalizations have spiked in recent weeks. Boyd puts a lot of the blame on many Floridians' decision to balk at recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."Why fight against masks? Why join a chorus that doubts the effectiveness of the vaccine? It's stupid," Boyd said.He said both he and his wife are fully vaccinated but she remains at higher risk given her health condition. For now, she's still being treated for her pneumonia in a hallway with no idea if or when she'll get a real room."There is no other option. Every other hospital in central Florida is in the same situation,” Boyd said.WESH reached out to Orlando Health for comment on the overcrowding in their hospitals. Hospital representatives replied with a statement, reading in part... "Like many health care systems across the country, the pandemic has placed high demand on some of our hospitals and facilities. While wait times vary greatly based on different factors... we are constantly evaluating strategies to address how we deliver the best care to our patients."
"It's a really bad situation. It shouldn't happen," Ralph Boyd said.
Boyd is worried about his wife, telling sister station WESH: "She's been in the hallway in the emergency division since last night."
Ralph said his wife has non-COVID-19-related pneumonia and was told by her doctors to get to a hospital.
However, when Boyd and his wife Ileen showed up at South Lake Hospital in Clermont, Florida, he said they were told there weren't any rooms available.
"I called a nurse and they said they had like 40 patients stacked up waiting for rooms out there and it's even worse at ORMC,” Boyd said.
He said the reason for the overcrowding was COVID-19.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have spiked in recent weeks. Boyd puts a lot of the blame on many Floridians' decision to balk at recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Why fight against masks? Why join a chorus that doubts the effectiveness of the vaccine? It's stupid," Boyd said.
He said both he and his wife are fully vaccinated but she remains at higher risk given her health condition. For now, she's still being treated for her pneumonia in a hallway with no idea if or when she'll get a real room.
"There is no other option. Every other hospital in central Florida is in the same situation,” Boyd said.
WESH reached out to Orlando Health for comment on the overcrowding in their hospitals. Hospital representatives replied with a statement, reading in part... "Like many health care systems across the country, the pandemic has placed high demand on some of our hospitals and facilities. While wait times vary greatly based on different factors... we are constantly evaluating strategies to address how we deliver the best care to our patients."
