Hospitals across the province are at about 70 per cent of capacity as B.C. looks to reschedule 30,000 elective surgeries that were cancelled in March to clear space in hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says nearly 18,000 people have already been contacted to try and find a new date for their surgery.
“All of this progress represents an extraordinary achievement by our surgeons, our nurses, our health care workers and our health sciences professionals,” he said.
“To me its clear that everyone involved in providing the same energy in helping people waiting for surgeries as we provided in our response to COVID-19 is as fundamental commitment.”
Across Interior Health, 3,000 surgeries were postponed between mid-March and mid-May. Surgeries resumed after the May long weekend, and Dix says it could take almost two years for the province to clear the entire backlog at a cost of $250-million.
“On May 31, we want all contracted private surgical facilities working at maximum capacity. By June 15, all existing operating rooms will be running at full capacity,” he added. “From June 15 to October 15, we will add resources and capacity by extending daily hours of operation, adding Saturday’s and Sunday’s to the schedule and opening new operating rooms.”
There are over 93,000 people on the wait list for a surgery across the province, and Dix notes between March 16 and May 17, there were 23,385 urgent scheduled or emergency surgeries that were completed in B.C. hospitals.
Moving forward, he is asking British Columbians to stay committed in the fight against COVID-19, saying by continuing the limit the spread of the virus, it will allow health care workers to do their jobs.
“A surge in new cases or a second wave this fall with put our progress at risk,” he said.
“So I’d ask all of us to consider the power each of us has, each and every day to shape our B.C. experience with COVID-19 and the power each and every one of us has to fulfill our surgery renewal commitment, one that is anchored in stay 100 per cent all in, in an effort to stop the spread.”
