Head of Alabama Hospital Association calls for more healthcare workers

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — The head of the Alabama Hospital Association says the state is in dire need of more healthcare workers.

Dr. Don Williamson is describing current hospital staff as fatigued and many of them have become infected with COVID-19.

Alabama is now feeling the effects of the July Fourth celebrations. Medical professionals say they warned this would happen.

“Unfortunately, we’re tracking along the path that I think we all expected. I think the only question for us is how bad is it going to get?” Dr. Williamson said.

We spoke with Dr. Williamson about some of the states’ more critical areas.

“Birmingham is critical. Dothan and is critical. Mobile is critical. We’re beginning to see numbers go back up and in Montgomery [cases have] increased. Huntsville is in the middle of an outbreak.”

Williamson says the pandemic is creating the need for more healthcare workers as the working are becoming fatigued with hospitalizations and ICU beds filling up.

“The emotional fatigue, there’s physical fatigue, and then there’s just a shortage of staff,” he said.

 Thursday will be one week since Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide mask mandate.

“The mask is helping, I really honest to goodness think the mask is helping and more people are wearing the masks and that’s a good thing,” Gov. Ivey said.

 Williamson said it will take up to about two weeks to see if the mask ordinance is working.

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