ECRMC increases ICU capacity

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY), The El Centro Regional Medical Center is expanding its ICU capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.

The hospital received an alaskan shelter tent from the state that will serve as ECRMC's third ICU unit.

Once it’s up and running it will fit up to ten patients, raising the hospitals ICU bed count to thirty.

“It's an extra ICU just in case we need additional beds. The state felt that it would help us and it would maintain a level of capacity and capability in order to surge up in cases," said Dr. Adolphe Edward, ECRMC CEO.

In order for Imperial County to move forward in reopening local hospitals need to have the ability to accommodate a 35% surge in COVID-19 cases.

In recent weeks Imperial County’s Emergency Operations Center has transferred critical patients to out of county hospitals

As of Monday at least 300 patients had been transferred.

“This is gonna help us maintain more cases here so we’re not having to transfer and that's the good news story. The numbers fluctuate every day. One day we have one patient being transferred other days we have 8 patients," said Edward.

The state also sent extra nurses and respiratory therapists to help care for patients.