The intensive care unit (ICU) at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake is the only one for nearly 100 miles in any direction. It's currently at capacity, along with the hospital's medical/surgical unit.
One week ago, Samaritan Hospital announced it would postpone all elective surgeries due to the uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations and sustained staffing strains caused by the surge in cases. Samaritan joins Providence and MultiCare hospitals in Spokane that have made the same decision.
COVID-19 patients have been arriving at Samaritan Hospital for weeks from many of the small, rural communities in the area. KREM 2 got an inside look at the hospital's ICU and spoke exclusively with a coronavirus patient.
Most of the COVID-19 patients in the ICU are sedated and many of them are on ventilators. Some of them will not make it.
Shelley Gay, the ICU/Trauma director at Samaritan Hospital, said the ICU has been at or above capacity almost every single day over the last four months.
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