Dryden Regional Health Centre/CKDR Archives
There’s no timeline yet of when the Dryden Regional Health Centre will receive COVID-19 vaccines.
President and Chief Executive Officer of the DRHC, Doreen Armstrong Ross says the question of when and how many vaccines they’ll get is still up in the air.
“There’s been some information that Pfizer is not able to deliver the does that they thought (to the province). We do expect there may be some changes to the timeline that had been given, but we have not been given any timeline at all when we might see vaccines.”
Even though there are a lot of unknowns right now, Ross adds the DRHC continues to work with the Northwestern Health Unit and other community partners.
One of the unknowns includes whether the hospital will receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or even a combination of both.
“The hospital is ensuring that we can store both. So, we’ve purchased a freezer that can go to minus 80 that we’re expecting delivery of in the next couple of weeks. We’re going to be ready for either, for storing either, so that whatever they can get to us we would be willing and are able to accept.”
Ross talks about how else the hospital is preparing.
“We are doing some education with our staff and finding out who intends to take the vaccine, because it’s not mandatory. We are readying our facilities and ensuring that we have the proper storage and what we need for when the vaccine does come.”
When it comes to distribution, Ross explains they’ll be following the provinces guidelines and ethical framework for vaccine rollout.
“In the first priority is health care providers, so that would be everyone at the hospital and our patients as well. The first priority is going to be long term care.”
The priority of vaccines in the long term care sector includes patients, staff and essential care partners, followed by front line health care workers.
As the hospital learns more about the timeline of vaccine arrival and distribution, Ross says information will be shared with the public on the DRHC Facebook page.
