WINDSOR, ONT. -- Premier Doug Ford has assured Ontario residents that "help is on the way" as he announced a framework to re-start surgeries and proceduces safely has been created.
"Alleluia" was Cathy Hedges' reaction to the news. She had been waiting 14 months to have neck surgery before it was cancelled March 19. "Now I'm at 15-16 months. Anytime now would be great;"
Greg Lemay developed an Achilles tendon injury in April that requires surgery. He has been in a "walking boot" and is happy to see there is a glimmer of hope.
"It depends on how many are before me or how many have been delayed in the meantime, right, but it would be nice to get it taken care of," he says.
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj sat on the committee that created a document leading to Thursday's news and says the announcement is a plan to plan.
"It is a road map for hospitals to follow and for regions to follow on the steps to be taken, the due diligence that needs to take place before you even start talking about rescheduling the previously paused scheduled surgeries."
The Ontario government says the timeline for anything to happen will vary throughout the province.
Musyj says in the Windsor region, hospitals will come up with their own plans and then review those plans with their counterparts. Those plans will then go to the next level in our region. It is a detailed checklist to ensure everyone has the ability to handle a potential second surge.
"We can't undo all the good work Windsor-Essex for example has been doing for the last couple of months. We can't undo that and the quickest way to do that is to rush back into something."
Progress being made in flattening the curve has allowed for this conversation, "We're telling the hospitals to get ready," said Ford. "We're telling patients to get ready and we're hopeful many of these scheduled surgeries can start soon."
