Flu epidemic: South Australian public hospitals struggling to cope as cases double
The number of flu cases reported in South Australia this year has more than doubled, putting pressure on the state's public hospitals.
Health Minister Jack Snelling said it had been the worst flu epidemic since the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
He said this year's outbreak is on a scale that would test any public hospital system.
"It's having a huge impact on the number of people who are presenting to our emergency departments, particularly the people who are vulnerable," Mr Snelling said.
"The season seems to be starting later as well, which is a concern because I think we will continue to see our emergency departments and hospitals very very busy for the next month or so."
Opposition spokesman Rob Lucas said five out of six metropolitan hospital emergency departments were full at some point on Thursday.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital had been full for a week, with some patients waiting hours to be treated.
There had been ramping at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in recent weeks with patients treated in ambulances outside the hospital emergency department due to a lack of available beds inside.
"Our major hospitals have really been stretched to breaking point in the past week," Mr Lucas said.
"Patients in our emergency departments have been subjected to huge waiting times, as our system is really struggling at the moment."
Hospitals could have been better prepared, Lucas says
Mr Lucas said preparations should have been made to deal with the surge in demand for medical treatment.
"The emergency department doctors have gone on the public record saying we have always known that at this time of the year there is going to be pressure on our system through flu outbreaks," he said.
"They've known since March of this year that it's going to happen and they are the ones who are saying the government needs to cope with the system much better."
Mr Snelling said it was unclear why there had been such a huge increase in flu cases this year with health professionals still investigating the outbreak.
The Minister said 100 extra hospital beds had been "flexed up" to try to provide extra capacity but called on people who had not yet had a flu shot, to get vaccinated.
"It's not too late to get a flu vaccination. It makes a big difference in whether you get the flu or not and if you do, how bad it is."
