Man Dies Of COVID-19 After Being Shifted To Rural Facility Due To Bed Shortage

A man in Canada has died of COVID-19 at a rural medical facility, miles away from his hometown, after being shifted to clear beds during the pandemic surge.

Clarke Gehman, an 84-year-old retired air force pilot from Winnipeg, died on Feb.11, weeks after he was being shifted out to a medical facility in Reston, Manitoba, around 180 miles away.

After Gehman's death, the family said they are disappointed with the government, as the elderly man had to die in a rural facility, several hours away from his loved ones because of the bed shortage.

"I want to be mad at the anti-vaxxers, but most appropriately the best place to put my frustration is at the government for not having sufficient places for patients when they had lots of advanced warning," Gehman’s son, Kirby, said Thursday, Winnipeg Free Press reported.

Gehman was hospitalized in Winnipeg's Victoria Hospital for liver and kidney issues on Jan. 9. As his condition was stable, the family was informed that he would be shifted to the hospital in Russell, 210 miles northwest of Winnipeg, on Jan.24, CBC News reported.

However, the family was not allowed to visit Gehman as the facility in Russel prohibited visitors to curb the spread of COVID-19. By the time the family decided to get an exceptional approval for a visit, he was shifted to a facility, which was located 100 miles south of Russell.

A routine COVID test several days later showed Gehman was positive for the virus and his health condition soon deteriorated. The family was informed to come and pay their final goodbyes. Gehman died the same night the family paid the visit.

Kirby said his anger is directed at the provincial government for failing to properly fund the healthcare system and for not increasing the capacity as it could have prevented the transfers from happening.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Shared Health, which oversees medical facilities in the province shared their condolences to the family."We know that patient transfers to different sites can be unsettling and disruptive for both patients and their families," the spokesperson said.

"However, the acute-care inter-regional transfer protocol continues to be necessary to ensure capacity remains available for both COVID and non-COVID patients in hospitals across the province," he added.