The Georgia Department of Public Health is calling on Georgians to help reduce the strain on the state’s emergency health services amid the current COVID surge. The agency urges the public to reserve 911 for medical emergencies only.
“Many hospitals are having to declare themselves on diversion,” DPH explains, “meaning they are temporarily unable to provide normal emergency care to patients arriving by ambulance.”
The Georgia Coordinating Center shows many of the hospitals diverting ambulances are in metro Atlanta. Other affected areas include Northwest, East and South Georgia.
As of early Friday, August 27, none of the more than a dozen hospitals in Northeast Georgia were on diversion status, according to GCC. Still, Habersham Medical Center in Demorest and Elbert Memorial Hospital in Elberton listed their emergency department overcrowding as “severe.”
The statewide hospital diversion website is intended to be used as a coordinating tool by EMS agencies. In a news release, the DPH alludes to residents contacting the service.
“The public should NOT call the GCC with questions or concerns,” DPH states.
“To help keep hospital emergency departments open and able to treat medical emergencies, individuals seeking COVID testing should not go to hospital emergency departments,” the state agency adds.
DPH encourages Georgians to use the best defenses against COVID: getting the vaccine, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently.
“COVID vaccination is available statewide and is our best tool for ending this pandemic and reducing the overwhelming strain on EMS, the healthcare system and healthcare providers,” the health agency states.
To find a COVID testing site or explore vaccination options across the state, visit dph.georgia.gov.
