Unit 9 at QEH reopens to P.E.I. psychiatric patients after COVID hiatus

The Unit 9 psychiatric ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown has reopened after patients were relocatedin the spring to make room forpotential COVID-19 cases.

There have been 64 cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I., but none have required hospitalization.

Last month, a CBCNews investigation revealed that while the unit remained closed to psychiatric patients, seniors suffering from dementia, who werewaiting for a spot in a nursing home, had been moved in. They filled 17 of the 20 beds in the unit.

Dr. Heather Keizer, chief of mental health and addictions on P.E.I., expressed concernabout the lack of beds available for psychiatric patients at the QEH. Health Minister James Aylward said the province hoped to start making Unit 9's beds available to psychiatric patients by the end of October.

Marion Dowling, HealthPEI's chiefofnursing,said Tuesday that there are now eight dementia patients remaining in the ward, after Unit 9 began readmittingpsychiatric patients on Monday.

"Renovations to the unit have been made to keep these twopatient groups completely separate and visitors will notice separate entrances and exits for these care areas," she said.

Dowling said the the dementia patients still at Unit 9 require specialized care, and will be moved when Health PEIlong-term care home beds become available.

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