A prayer vigil was held on Sept. 15, at the entrance of Liberty Regional Medical Center in Hinesville to pray for the doctors and staff who have been overwhelmed with an increase of patients suffering from Covid 19.
Roughly 40 members of the staff attended the prayer vigil as clergymen from various churches offered prayers and comfort to the staff who have been working nonstop to take care of those hospitalized in the 25-bed facility.
Dr. Seth Borquaye said the staff is weary and overwhelmed and prayed asking God to place his healing hand over the community.
“When we are used to trying to get people better, and in the time of COVID sometimes we seem helpless,” he said. “That no matter what we do some of the patients will die. And it is very disheartening for healthcare workers.”
Borquaye encouraged people to get vaccinated and help the hospital staff by staying safe.
LRMC CEO Tammy Mims was overcome with emotions and said her staff has worked hard to care of their community.
“We have been overwhelmed with patients,” she said. “And unfortunately loved ones not being able to participate and see their loved ones while they are in the hospital because of the visitor restrictions.”
She thanked her partnerships with the faith-based programs and said the prayer vigil gives her staff a little bit of hope and the strength needed to get passed the current surge.
Mims said for the past three weeks the hospital had 40-50 patients meaning they’ve need to open up other areas of the hospital to house COVID patients, regular patients, inpatients as well as staff.
“We have stopped elective surgery cases because we needed that staff to treat critically ill patients. Mims said that means the hospital has given up elective revenues they would have had to focus on caring for those suffering from the pandemic.
Mims said the hospital is still treating emergency cases and delivering babies. She said the overall morale of the staff is good but several have worked weeks on end without a day off. She said the majority of the recent hospital deaths have been due to COVID.
According to the Coastal Health District’s COVID report for Sept. 16, there have been 74 COVID deaths in Liberty County to date and 28 new cases reported that same day. Liberty County is still in the red for the transmission index. The community transmission index reflects the number of newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 residents and includes positive cases from PCR and antigen tests. As of Sept. 16, Liberty’s transmission index was 824, which is down from 1740 for the week of Sept. 9.
Stephen Lee the Chaplain with GHC Hospice said his group wanted to support the hospital staff.
“This was as good of a time as any to let people know we re praying for them and with them,” he said. He said it was a way to show the hospital staffers they were not alone and had the support of their community.