How an ‘unprecedented response’ helped Ontario children’s hospitals survive viral surge

They say it also reveals the precariousness of the province’s pediatric hospital system, long undersized to meet the demands of a growing population. “We are still very, very busy,” says Dr. Steven Schwartz, chief of SickKids’ department of critical care medicine. “It was well over 100 by the end of December,” Schwartz says, noting Ontario has about 100 pediatric critical care beds but can add more during surges. “Those (teenage patients) were spread out over time but that’s essentially the entire province’s worth of pediatric ICU beds,” Schwartz says. The Star also asked whether general hospitals are still providing critical care for older teenagers.