Lafayette hospitals nearing capacity, diverting patients to other area hospitals

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Lafayette’s hospitals are reaching their capacity due to a flood of COVID-19 patients, and it’s resulted in some patients being diverted to other area hospitals in an attempt to find space.

As of this afternoon, News 10 learned that Acadia General and Lafayette General Medical Center are both diverting patients to other hospitals in the Lafayette General system. That includes University Medical Center, and hospitals in Kaplan and St. Martin Parish.

While the hospitals are still equipped to handle emergencies, they are asking people who don’t specifically need hospital care not to come. Patient diversion isn’t exactly new, but it has become more urgent as the systems are flooded with new cases.

At a Thursday press conference, Lafayette General and Our Lady of Lourdes both sounded the alarm that they were nearing capacity.

“As we said in the LCG presser yesterday, we are more than double our highest peak from April for hospitalized patients,” said Our Lady of Lourdes’ Communication Director Elisabeth Arnold. “We are definitely feeling a significant impact from community spread.”

So, what’s the answer to dwindling hospital capacity? Officials with both hospitals said the same thing they’ve been saying for months now: wash your hands, practice social distancing, stay at home, and when you are out in public, wear a mask.