Health leaders say virus vaccine alone won’t save New Mexico hospitals
SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico’s hospital officials continue to urge the public to cancel social visits, wash hands and wear masks to reduce Covid-19 hospitalizations.
They say the expected delivery of 17,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine won’t be a silver bullet for an overstretched workforce of doctors, nurses, techs and other hospital staff.
“It will help them so that they feel a little more sure about not bringing this home to their families. Will this be a huge increase in our health care force? It will not,” said University of New Mexico Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Irene Agostini.
Healthcare leaders said Monday that their workers are getting Covid-19 from friends, family and community members more than co-workers and patients.
The number of deaths among healthcare workers has been minimal, with two Albuquerque-area hospitals saying none have died, and Presbyterian Chief Patient Safety Officer and Medical Director of Infection Control Dr. Jeff Salvon-Harman saying that only “a few” have died from the disease.
On Friday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham set the table for legal protections for hospitals for a scenario in which they have to triage, or ration medical care due to being swamped by Covid-19 patients.
“All of our health care workers also have been working and working and working, and they will continue to work for you. But please, please don’t put us in a position to have to ration care,” Agostini said.
