MUHC Runs Out of Blankets During November Record-Breaking Cold: Staff Struggles With Daily Linen Shortages
The week of November 10, when Montreal’s freezing temperatures dropped close to record levels, the Mcgill University Health Centre (MUHC) laundry department ran out of flannels (Blankets).
An employee who asked their name not be published, remembers the calls made to the Glen superhospital laundry department requesting blankets during the record-breaking week. “The first time they said they didn’t get any delivery, the next day they didn’t give a reason – just they didn’t have any for us.”
According to sources the shortage across MUHC sites has been ongoing since early October. In an email response dated November 15, MUHC spokesperson Gilda Salomone, said the hospital centre was aware of the situation and steps were taken to minimize impact on patients. “Actions have been taken to minimize any impact on our patients and our activities,” Salomone wrote .
Salomone also stated in her email that the situation is not unique to the MUHC, “We are aware of the issue you have raised, and this situation is not unique to the MUHC.
MUHC laundry attends confirmed a reduction in linen delivery and pickups from the Buanderie centrale de Montréal (BCM) in the month of October. The BCM is subcontracted by the MUHC to pick up, deliver and wash the health centre’s linen. The BCM did not respond to our request for a comment.
Linen Shortages for Over a Year
During our investigation, we uncovered flannels are not the only linen in short supply. For at least the past year patient wards, including the emergency room at both the Montreal General and Glen Campus, the two largest MUHC sites, experience regular linen shortages.
Bed sheets, flannels, facecloths and soaker pads – which are placed underneath the patient to absorb urine in order to keep beds and linens dry, and protect patients’ skin, according to the sources we contacted are regularly in short supply.
A patient attendant (PAB, Orderly) working in a patient unit at the MGH, said the linen shortage on their unit is almost daily and results in delays to changing patients’ bed sheets from every second day to 5 or six days.
A PAB who works in the emergency room at another site said “We are always short on the linen.” Another PAB had this to say, “We’re always short! We miss of everything! We are supposed to have full carts for the ER and they are constantly empty.”
The linen shortage has forced many PAB’s to stowaway linen in ‘secret’ spots prior to long holiday weekends to ensure they do not run out. The patient attendants who spoke with us, claim they have no alternative and a few confirmed they already started compiling their stock for the coming December holidays.
The MUHC laundry department has had two managers in the past year and is currently under an interim manager.