A now-deleted viral Facebook post from the weekend said a patient died in LDH region 4 because an ICU bed was not available for them. It came from the Facebook page of a doctor practicing in the Acadiana area. We have been unable to confirm this situation, but it led us to ask Lafayette General Health about its ICU capacity. 

Patricia Thompson confirmed to KPEL News that their facilities still have ICU space but have at times, had to turn away transfers from other hospitals.

We are currently not out of ICU beds at Lafayette General Health. However, there are times that we are not able to accept a transfer because of our bed capacity, either ICU or the floor. In order to continue managing our capacity and the needs of our existing patients who may require critical care, we are actively and safely surging patients into other departments when necessary. While we have beds within our system to care for our most critically ill patients, there is no doubt that the recent surge of COVID-19 in our region has placed stress on our resources. We continue to urge everyone to wash their hands frequently, practice social distancing and wear a mask or face covering when leaving home. We must all do our part to avoid a scenario of becoming completely overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.

It's unclear why the initial post was deleted on Facebook.

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