Health secretary concerned hospitals could reach crisis

New Mexico Department of Health Secretary David Scrase said Wednesday during a COVID-19 update that New Mexico hospitals could reach a crisis in standards of care this week.

According to the state’s Crisis Standards of Care Plan posted at the DOH’s website, “A pandemic or catastrophic emergency may strain medical and aligned resources and thereby require a shift in care from that which was previously focused on the individual patient to that which is focused on doing the most good for the greatest number.”

The goal would be to “minimize death and serious illness by distributing finite resources to those who have the greatest opportunity to benefit,” as stated in the plan.

“(We) are on track to reach this crisis in the next week,” Scrase said.

He said COVID-19 cases are going up about 20% per day on average, and the state had 50 people on an Intensive Care Unit waiting list. People on the list, Scrase said, are “very sick” and in emergency room or hospital beds instead of ICU beds.

“It is a serious situation right now,” Scrase said. “They would be in an ICU bed but they don’t have it.”

When asked how things could be turned around given vaccine hesitancy, Scrase responded, “We may be in this for the long haul.” The state is currently at 66.9% of adults fully vaccinated.

Scrase said the state is also facing a shortage in nurses, and efforts to get traveling nurses are proving difficult.

State Epidemiologist Christine Ross said the Delta variant is “highly contagious,” and noted strategies employed in schools like physical distancing, face masking, ventilated classrooms and hand washing have shown effectiveness.

Scrase said everyone should get a booster shot “as soon as you are eligible and not wait for an incentive payment.” Currently there is no talk of an incentive payment for taking a booster shot.

DOH statistics show the state’s Southeast health region, which includes Curry and Roosevelt counties, has five times as many cases as the Northeastern health regent.