The local surge in COVID cases in putting a strain on Salina Regional Health Center. Locally there have been as many COVID cases the first 12 days of this month as there were in all of January last year.

In an update on Wednesday,  Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Freelove said there are currently 25 COVID patients in the hospital, including eight in ICU, four on ventilators, and three who are waiting on a bed.

Freelove said the hospital was already short-staffed, and now with some employee illnesses, now at times staffing is at a critical level.  Because of this this they have hot to postpone some elective and non-emergency surgeries and procedures and also limitations in some departments. He said at times there have as many as 25 people in the emergency room waiting for a bed.

Freelove said the last couple of weeks, especially the last week, have been very challenging not just taking care of COVID patients, but all of the patients at the hospital.

Freelove urges everyone to “take this very seriously” and do everything you can to help stop the spread.

Freelove concluded the update with a plea to please donate blood. He said the blood supply right now is critically low and donations are very much needed.