Texas recruits extra out-of-state medical workers as surge comes near previous pandemic peaks

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — This week, Gov. Greg Abbott introduced the state could be sending an additional 2,500 medical personnel to hospitals throughout Texas, bringing the entire to eight,100.

As of Friday, the state has deployed 4,105 of the 8,100 throughout the state. It is damaged down by area, pictured under.

Variety of medical personnel deployed throughout Texas (KXAN graphic)

This comes as Texas may see record-breaking hospitalizations within the coming week.

“The factor about this surge is that it could truly surpass the earlier surges by way of the quantity of people that get sick and must go to the hospital,” Texas Division of State Well being Providers Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt informed Nexstar on Friday.

Hellerstedt additionally famous how shortly this surge has occurred, which has made response harder.

“As an alternative of getting a taking place over a number of weeks, like earlier surges had, this actually occurred over a a lot shorter time period, 4 to 6 weeks at most,” Hellerstedt defined, including it is made it more durable to recruit extra personnel.

“We attempt to recruit the additional workers from out of state. So we have not been, you already know, once more, combating towards ourselves and diminishing the parents throughout the state that may present this assist,” Hellerstedt stated.

DSHS will not be capable of meet all requests although. There are requests for 15,132 personnel throughout the state, almost double the allotted 8,100.

“We need to with the assets that now we have, we need to be as honest and equitable throughout the state as we are able to. So sadly, that signifies that we’re probably not capable of utterly fulfill each request,” Hellerstedt defined.

That is why DSHS continues to be relying on Texans to curb the unfold, and the governor nonetheless vows to not enable any extra masks or vaccine mandates.

“The governor may be very conscious of the science, the governor may be very conscious of the actions that individuals can take. He has set a coverage although, the place he desires individuals to know them and to undertake them as a matter of private accountability,” Hellerstedt stated.

“The governor has remained in common contact with Dr. Hellerstedt, Chief Kidd, and Dr. Zerwas for the reason that starting of the pandemic and continues to work intently with them and the groups at DSHS and TDEM to get pictures in arms and supply assist to communities throughout the state,” Renae Eze, a spokesperson for the governor, stated Friday.

Native leaders and democrats level out that technique is not working anymore.

“I might find it irresistible if everybody at all times did the precise factor, and we did not want police forces. We did not want any type of emergency response. We did not want courts, we did not want public well being officers, as a result of everyone was doing the precise factor on a regular basis. However we all know that that is not the case,” State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) stated Friday.

She filed payments this session that may take a extra preventative strategy.

“It could add the COVID-19 vaccine to the listing of Ok-12 required vaccines for the approaching faculty 12 months in the identical means pertussis and meningitis are included in that listing, with the exact same opt-out as nicely,” Eckhardt defined.

She criticized the governor’s reactive response throughout this surge.

“We’re not seeing indecision, we’re seeing a dedicated and aggressive inaction on the govt stage. On the very least, it is costlier and fewer environment friendly. On the very worst, it is lethal. And now we have seen that it’s fairly lethal,” Eckhardt stated.

Whereas DSHS and the governor proceed selling the vaccine and masking up, Hellerstedt stated the governor is weighing a number of elements.

“Science can advise, but it surely’s probably not the position of science to resolve. As a result of in the long run, it’s about balancing, suppressing the illness with enabling individuals to place meals on the desk,” Hellerstedt stated.