Lee Health experiencing higher influx of patients amid cold and flu season

Reporter: Camila Pereira Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

Patients at Lee Health have been experiencing higher wait times as an influx of people with illnesses has overflooded several locations.

According to the Lee Health website, Gulf Coast Medical Center and the Cape Coral Hospital are displaying a “very busy” status, while the HealthPark Medical Center is displaying a “moderately busy” status.

Golisano Children’s Hospital, Coconut Point and Lee Memorial Hospital displayed “Not too Busy.”

The length of the status has not been determined.

WINK News spoke with a Lee Health patient regarding the lengthy wait times.

“They said it be an hour, it could be five hours. And it ended up being about 10 or 12 hours,” said the Lee Health patient. “We had to stand outside, and it’s freezing. We had to wrap my mother-in-law in six blankets while laying on a concrete bench.”

The larger-than-normal status is typical for the beginning portion of the year as the cold and flu season begins to ramp up.

WINK News contacted Lee Health about the influx of patients, and a representative said a news conference would be held to discuss the situation in full detail.

The representative advised patients to know which location to visit as each specializes in a specific type of patient.

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