Provinces begin to address backlog of surgeries in wake of COVID-19

Dr. Darius Viskontas, left, prepares to remove a cyst from a male patient’s knee, with assistance from Dr. Anne Wachsmuth, centre, and Miwa Holm, an operating room registered nurse, at the Cambie Surgery Centre, in Vancouver on Wednesday, August 31, 2016. Dr. Brian Day, a self-styled champion of privatized health care, is bringing his fight to British Columbia Supreme Court on Tuesday for the start of a months-long trial he says is about patients’ access to affordable treatment, while his opponents accuse him of trying to gut the core of Canada’s medical system.
The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Date of Publication: May 9, 2020

Source: CTV News

Canadian hospitals are beginning to address a backlog in elective surgeries that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In BC, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and PEI, hospitals have released plans to allow elective surgeries to resume. Officials state that it could take up to two years for the healthcare system to catch up and clear the backlog of elective surgical services. There are also concerns regarding how many and how fast elective surgeries are ramped up while maintaining the need to care for COVID-19 patients. Ontario Health released requirements for hospitals before committing to a set date for resumption of elective surgeries, including a stable number of COVID-19 cases and table supply of PPE and medications.

Read the full article here: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/provinces-begin-to-address-backlog-of-surgeries-in-wake-of-covid-19-1.4932424?fbclid=IwAR04G9rda_SgSubas5gtrWlsGxL1M9phZFrA9QX36jXUrkhCvXXWS87U_qs

Summary by: Ming Li