WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor Regional Hospital officials say they have made the difficult decision to postpone certain non-urgent surgeries for an indefinite period.
It’s due to a rise in in-hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 and a potentially critical shortage of available acute care beds.
“We will continue to reassess our capacity for surgeries based on volumes on a regular basis,” said Dr. Wassim Saad, WRH chief of staff. “We are doing our best to keep bed capacity available as our patient volumes increase during the second wave of this COVID-19 pandemic, while also conserving our hospital resources for the most urgent needs.”
The temporary closures and postponements involve non-urgent, elective surgeries which require a bed/overnight stay. It is effective as of 12:01 a.m., Monday, Dec. 14.
Day surgeries, where a patient can go home the same day as the procedure, were stopped during the first wave back in March but will not be stopped as of this time.
Emergent/urgent surgeries, OBGYN procedures and cancer surgeries are prioritized and will not be cancelled at this time.
Patients will be contacted in advance if their scheduled appointments are affected.
“We know these measures are difficult and challenging for patients waiting anxiously for their scheduled procedures,” said WRH president David Musyj. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we implement these difficult and complex changes while we work to keep our local hospital system functioning and reducing the strain on our resources and staff.”
