Paramedics helping in the COVID-19 fight

Hastings-Quinte paramedics are doing their part in the fight against COVID-19.

Paramedic Services Chief Doug Socha tells Quinte News community paramedics have been swabbing patients for the virus in their own homes, home-based on a criteria established by public health.

Socha says  they’ve done about 100 patients so far.

He says it’s part of the community paramedic program started two years ago to be more pro-active, and provide some home-care checkups. “So that’s really been our focus over the last week and we’re increasing that more and more over the next few weeks.”

Socha added, “The number of community paramedics have been increased this week to help support Long Term Care, public health, assessment centres, along with other initiatives. As of this week, six additional full time paramedics will be dedicated to help support in that. We will monitor that and, if needed expand, on this as well.”

All the local paramedics have been tested for the virus and all were negative.

There is an agreement with local hospitals and hotels if any of them have to go into self-isolation.

Meanwhile the provincial Ministry of Health and the colleges, including Loyalist College, are working to allow paramedic students to graduate a couple of months early to help, if needed, at this time of COVID-19.

The Dean Liaison for all paramedic programs in the province is the Dean of Health, Human and Justice at Loyalist College, June MacDonald Jenkins. Jenkins tells Quinte News it meant an adjustment to the exam for all colleges across the province.

Socha says the students would have completed their work but would have extended “consolidation” time.

New paramedics usually ride along with experienced paramedics for a time, known as consolidation time, and this means the recent graduates would have extended ride-along time.

Hastings Quinte is in the process of hiring extra paramedics since it will have another ambulance as of June.

Socha says no decision has been made yet on whether or not one of the students would be hired.