Veterinary supply could ease dire shortage of ventilators
Saskatchewan veterinarians may help supply an under-equipped health system with ventilators, a vital device for patients with severe cases of COVID -19.
Veterinarians across the country are working out the logistics of loaning ventilators that are typically used for animals to local health authorities, although they caution the actual number of devices that could be provided is unknown.
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association member Dr. Ian Sandler said at least 30 to 40 ventilators in veterinary hospitals across the country could be made available for human use in the weeks to come, including those at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dean Dr. Douglas Freeman confirmed in a statement to the Saskatoon Starphoenix that the college had “been in contact” with the Saskatchewan Health Authority about the “potential use” of ventilators and other supplies, though a university spokesperson later declined to say how many ventilators the college has, or who had initiated the discussions with the health authority.
“We will work with SHA representatives to determine whether our equipment meets their needs and how these resources might be used during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Freeman wrote.
Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association registrar Marc Cattet said the province’s vets will be contacted in the coming days to identify how many ventilators could be loaned. Mechanical ventilators are medical devices that assist or replace a patient’s natural breathing.
They’re considered essential to treating patients with severe cases of COVID -19, who can develop severe viral pneumonia.
The province currently has just 91 adult ventilators and more than 80 sub-acute ventilators on hold. An early model of a “worst-case scenario” from the health authority predicted that as many as 500 to 600 patients in Saskatoon alone might require ventilation at the peak of the outbreak.
The authority has ordered an additional 250 ventilators, but has no idea when they’ll arrive.
“Every jurisdiction on the planet right now is trying to get ventilators,” health minister Jim Reiter said at a news conference on Tuesday. “I’m optimistic that we’re going to get some,” Reiter later said. “I don’t know if it will be full orders, and again, it’s virtually impossible. I don’t want to diminish the situation. Ventilators are a very big concern right now.”
Sandler said many veterinary ventilators were originally designed for humans and then modified for animals, which means a transition back should be simple and safe.
However, Cattet cautioned it’s not known how many of the organization’s 750-odd veterinarians have ventilators that could be provided.
He also noted that animal hospitals have an obligation to be able to treat animals that come through their doors. That means they can’t simply give away all of their ventilators.
“It’s not this balance of what’s more important — a human life or an animal life. It’s a case of whether someone comes through those doors expecting service and then loses an animal,” he said.
“From the standpoint of regulations, you don’t want to be in the position of weighing one against another. The intent will be to fully accommodate loans as much as possible, but to make sure there is a safety net.”