Surrey/Mission/Abbotsford – Fraser Health is supporting Corrections Canada to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 at Mission Institution.
Mission has the greatest amount of active COVID-19 cases of any Federal Corrections Institution in the country. This includes staff as well as inmates.
As part of this support, a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) is at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, and a designated and secure site has been created in the hospital for those who have tested positive from Mission Institution. Hopefully, this will help reduce the number of corrections guards needed at the hospital, as well as protect health-care workers and administrative staff.
In addition, Fraser Health have enabled virtual health care with specialists consulting through technology at Mission Institution and at the federal medical facility (Regional Treatment Centre). A multi-stakeholder working group, including Federal, Provincial and Fraser Health representatives, has been struck to enhance coordination of health care services at Mission Institution; and additional clinical resources will be mobilized to provide assessment and care for low to moderate acuity COVID-19 patients at the federal medical facility.
Their Population and Public Health team is continuing to support implementation of preventive and mitigation measures at Mission Institution.
The MMU is known as a hospital on wheels and is serving as an extension of the hospital site. The unit has capability for providing support and patient care in a variety of situations, ranging from attending to minor illnesses and injured patients up to higher-level acuity of care, such as critical care and emergency surgical intervention. It also contains its own power, oxygen and waste systems.
In a statement, Fraser Health says they have developed a comprehensive and phased approach to acute care capacity planning in the event of a surge in patients due to COVID-19. Acute care capacity available for pandemic planning is 53% and Abbotsford Regional Hospital is currently at 58% capacity.
FYI – Mission Institution is a federal correctional facility located in Mission, BC with both medium security and minimum-security sites. There are currently 35 inmates/staff that have been affected by COVID-19 at the medium-security site. Abbotsford Regional Hospital is caring for some of these patients.
