May 10, 2022
By Jane Brown
It appears Canada was still struggling to maintain reasonable wait times for elective surgeries during the second year of the pandemic.
The latest data released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information suggests for joint replacements, about 62 per cent of patients across the country were treated within the recommended time frame between April and September of 2021, compared with 71 per cent before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In the earliest months of the COVID crisis, just 51 percent got their surgeries on time.
The study also concludes hospitals prioritized more urgent procedures like surgery for cancer and joint fractures so patients have not waited longer.
At the same time, the study says delayed access to preventive care and specialists during the pandemic could lead to a bigger surgical backlog.
Libby Znaimer will have more on this important issue in the second half of Zoomer Radio’s Fight Back Tuesday between 12:30 and 1pm.
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