State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris on Montgomery coronavirus situation: Hospitals have ‘a lot of patients,’ ‘Said they’re able to handle what they’re seeing’

As city leaders in Montgomery, including Mayor Steven Reed, have sounded the alarm about an alleged shortage of resources as coronavirus case have spiked in Alabama’s capital city, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris acknowledged there is cause for concern in an interview with Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.”

However, Harris revealed hospitals have indicated they would be able to adapt where needed.

“Sure, certainly we are concerned whenever there is any indication a hospital is reaching capacity,” Harris said. “I’ve had a chance to talk to one of the executives at one of the big hospitals here in Montgomery today. I spoke with the hospital association yesterday, with Dr. [Don] Williamson at the hospital association yesterday. I think we’re all very concerned about that. I think there are a lot of people coming down on both sides of this issue as to whether it’s a big deal, or not really a big deal or no deal — and clearly, it’s really a deal.”

“Hospitals here in Montgomery are seeing a lot of patients,” he continued. “They have some troubles, particularly with staffing, I think. And their ICUs are full. At the same time, they also have other available space in their hospital that they can use for surge capacities. Hospitals are actually really good at doing that, and they have to make those decisions some times in a busy flu season, for example, or when they have large numbers of patients. The hospitals have begun doing elective procedures again. And so, that fills some of their hospital beds as well. And so, I would say right now the hospitals are full. They have a lot of COVID patients. All of their ICU beds are full but not necessarily with COVID patients. And at the same time, they have all said they’re able to handle what they’re seeing right now.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.