A New York hospital has said it will not be “able to safely staff” its maternity area and will stop its baby deliveries soon after 30 employees quit because of the facility’s coronavirus vaccine mandate.
“The amount of resignations leaves us no other choice but to top delivering babies at the Lewis County General Hospital,” Gerald Cayer, the Lewis County Health System CEO, said at a media conference this Friday.
The hospital will stop helping mothers who are in labor on Sept. 25.
The staffers resigned after the hospital changed its emergency regulation recently, now requiring that all employees get the covid-19 vaccine without accepting religious exemptions. Medical exemptions are still allowed under the new program.
This new mandate comes after then-NY Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) said that all healthcare workers in the state must have at least one shot Sept. 27.
Cayer also stressed that 21 of the 30 hospital employees who resigned worked in clinical areas.
The Lewis County Health System reports a 73 percent vaccination rate, he said.
However, 165 unvaccinated employees have not yet showed whether they intend to get their shot or resign before the Sept. 27 date.
Three employees were approved for medical exemptions and another 12 have stated they will give a medical exemption, as reported by Cayer, who said that the hospital is waiting to see their documentation.
Cayer went on to state that other departments were also being put at risk because of the number of staff in those areas that are not vaccinated.
“We as employees have the obligation to not put those we care for, or our fellow coworkers, at greater risk,” he said.
The CEO said that, since the news of their vaccine requirement, another 30 hospital employees got their COVID vaccine.
When showing the impact that the covid-19 virus has had on the hospital, Cayer stated that five staff members were quarantining while five more were in isolation.
This comes after the Biden White House said Thursday that it will be forcing all employers with at least 100 employees to force their employees get the vaccine or have weekly coronavirus testing.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
