Ontario lays groundwork for scheduled surgeries to resume as COVID spread slows

Thousands of procedures delayed each week due to virus, officials estimate

TORONTO—Ontario is planning to resume thousands of surgeries that have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though those operations are likely still weeks away and the backlog will take months to clear.

Health Minister Christine Elliott has spoken of wanting to resume cancer and cardiac surgeries first, but a framework released Thursday lays out various criteria and leaves those decisions up to hospitals themselves and regional committees.

“We’re trying to take a measured and equitable approach to it,” Elliott said.

“There may be some hospitals that decide to proceed with other procedures, whether it’s for cataract surgery, or whether it’s the hips, knees, joint replacement, some orthopedic issues. It will depend on what the hospital is able to do.”

There’s no timeline for when procedures will be allowed to resume, but Elliott said it is “several weeks” away. She noted that urgent surgeries in situations where a patient’s life is at risk have continued.

In assessing whether elective and scheduled surgeries can resume, the framework says hospitals should: be in a community with a “manageable” and stable level of COVID-19; have adequate personal protective equipment and medication; and have enough inpatient and intensive care beds.

Hospitals should reserve 15 per cent of beds for COVID-19 patients and have a 30-day supply of protective gear on hand, the framework says.

The framework for deciding how to prioritize rescheduling surgeries includes looking at the patient’s condition, risks to delaying the surgery, COVID-19 exposure and transmission risk, and resources needed, such as operating room time, blood, and medication.

Scheduled procedures were put on hold on March 15 in a directive that remains in place nearly two months later. Officials say it could take months to clear the backlog.

The province’s Financial Accountability Office has estimated that between March 15 and April 22, up to 52,700 procedures were cancelled or avoided.

Up to 12,200 more procedures are delayed every week of the pandemic, the FAO said.

Premier Doug Ford noted that by pausing those procedures, the health-care system quickly added more than 5,000 acute care beds, meaning the province was prepared for any surge in COVID-19 cases.

Ontario reported 399 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 48 more deaths.

That brought the province to a total of 19,121 cases — a 2.1 per cent increase over Wednesday’s total — including 1,477 deaths and 13,569 resolved cases.