Nearly 1,000 Mississippi beds empty because of lack of staff

August 18, 2021

Associated Press,

Nurse practitioners Taryn McCoy, left, and Gina LaFountain take inventory of supplies in the intensive care ward, one of four wards that are part of the 32-bed Samaritan's Purse Emergency Field Hospital set up in one of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's parking garages, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Facebook
email
Twitter
Pinterest
Linkedin

By LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi health officials say almost 1,000 hospital beds that could be used to treat patients during the latest surge of coronavirus in the state are unstaffed because of a shortage of healthcare workers.

That’s while Mississippi is facing a record number of people hospitalized with the virus this year – 1,633 on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health.

Jim Craig, Senior Deputy for the Mississippi Department of Health and Director of Health Protection, said 73 hospitals in Mississippi requested over 1,451 staff members to treat patients.

More than 250 people were waiting in Mississippi emergency rooms for beds Wednesday morning, according to health officials.

Categories: Associated Press