15,000 surgeries postponed in Alberta during fourth wave, rescheduling has begun: health minister
Approximately 15,000 surgeries have been postponed in Alberta amid the fourth wave of COVID-19.
Alberta Minister of Health Jason Copping told reporters on Thursday the province is increasing the number of surgeries from what Alberta Health Services had originally planned for the period from 25 per cent to 66 per cent.
"Obviously they're prioritizing the ones that are most important," he said.
Copping said no cancer surgeries are being postponed.
"But the reality is, we're still postponing surgeries every day."
According to the health minister, 30,000 surgeries were postponed over the first three waves of the pandemic. He added the province had caught up to those by August.
"We've had to postpone more surgeries," he said. "We are committed to working with AHS to get the surgeries rescheduled as quickly as possible. And we're seeing that happen now as we are reducing the COVID surge beds at this point in time, putting those resources back into doing surgeries."
'WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET'
Copping acknowledged surgery numbers are still fluctuating and pointed to that fact as a reason for unvaccinated Albertans to get their shots.
"It's really important," he said. "Continue to get vaccinated, which actually reduces the stress on our healthcare system, as well as to follow the Chief Medical Officer of Health guidelines.
"We're not out of the woods yet. Our system is still running over capacity in terms of the number of ICU beds that we have normally."
The latest numbers from the province show there are currently 146 COVID-19 patients in Alberta ICUs.
"I'm looking forward to coming forward with AHS with a more detailed plan of where we are in terms of backlog once things stabilize more and how we're going to get caught up and how we're going to exceed that moving forward," the health minister said.
'I'M INCREDIBLY SORRY'
Alberta NDP health critic David Shepherd said the government should resolve the issue of postponed surgeries by finding an "amicable resolution" to ongoing contract negotiations with anesthesiologists, surgeons and surgical hospitals.
"Whether it's deaths or case counts or cancelled surgeries, it's clear this wave is among the worst," said Shepherd. "To those 15,000 Albertans, I want to give my deepest sympathies. I'm incredibly sorry for where this government has brought you, the pain and suffering they're causing you and your family."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'