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
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.