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KPBS Midday Edition

San Diego Hospitals Stretched Thin By Surge Of Non-COVID Illnesses, Injuries

Scripps Mercy Hospital is pictured in Hillcrest, June 1, 2021.
KPBS Staff
Scripps Mercy Hospital is pictured in Hillcrest, June 1, 2021.
In addition to a wave delta-variant-related COVID cases, San Diego's hospitals are struggling to keep up with a high volume of non-COVID-related hospitalizations.

San Diego County hospitals are struggling to address an influx of patients seeking non-COVID care.

The region's health care providers — already stretched thin due to increasing delta-variant hospitalizations — are now contending with an unusually high intake of patients seeking treatment for various other illnesses and injuries.

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Hospital officials are unsure exactly as to why they are seeing such a sharp increase, though some say that a high number of patients may be seeking care after initially delaying non-emergency procedures earlier in the pandemic.

Paul Sisson is a health care reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune. He joined Midday Edition on Monday with more on the high patient volume in San Diego's hospitals.