The Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ont., has begun a gradual resumption of non-urgent surgeries and procedures as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward across Ontario.
The hospital’s initial focus during the ramp-up will be on resuming non-urgent day surgeries and procedures that don’t require an inpatient bed.
“Ramping-up is very complex, so RVH’s plan takes a safe, measured and equitable approach to resuming non-urgent surgeries and procedures,” RVH president and CEO Janice Skot said in a statement.
“Although COVID cases and hospitalizations are on the decline, RVH continues to be extremely busy caring for critical COVID patients, so the ramp-up must be done in a cautious, safe way that ensures RVH remains ready to respond to any unexpected COVID-19 surges.”
To conform with Ontario Health criteria, RVH must maintain enough beds and health-care workers to be ready to accept patient transfers from the GTA.
Since December 2020, RVH has accepted more than 200 patient transfers from the Toronto area.
RVH estimates at least 1,300 procedures were delayed during the most recent non-urgent surgery ramp-down.
The hospital has performed almost 5,000 fewer surgical procedures this year compared to its pre-pandemic volumes. It said the surgical backlog “won’t be eased quickly.”
RVH plans to have up to nine of its 11 operating rooms operational over the summer.
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