Doctors Manitoba has launched an online dashboard tracking surgical and diagnostic backlogs due to COVID-19 and now estimate that backlog has hit more than 136,000 cases.
The latest numbers are up from the roughly 130,000 cases the group estimated in mid-October, and 110,000 in June.
“Physicians are very concerned to see the pandemic backlog increase again,” said Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba. Monitoring the size of this staggering backlog is important to understanding the magnitude of the problem that needs to be solved.
“That’s why we’ve launched a new dashboard, to track progress until the backlog is fully cleared.”
The advocacy group representing 4,000 doctors in Manitoba says the new surgical and diagnostic backlog dashboard will be updated regularly so changes can be monitored over time.
The dashboard can found on the Doctors Manitoba website.
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The group says wait lists and backlogs that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t included in the dashboard numbers.
Broken down in a media release Monday, the current backlogs include more than 53,805 surgical procedures, 39,701 diagnostic imaging tests and 42,596 other diagnostic procedure.
Doctors Manitoba says the increases are driven mainly by the additional of new procedures — sleep disorder studies — to the estimate.
Numbers provided by the group show there have been 4,791 fewer sleep studies conducted during the pandemic, likely doubling the wait times for the procedures.
Meanwhile Thompson acknowledged the province has made positive progress in the area of diagnostic imaging, with backlogs for procedures like MRIs and ultrasound tests decreasing in October.
However, the recent decision to cancel several surgical and endoscopy slates at Winnipeg hospitals to boost resources for an expected surge in COVID-19 cases is estimated to add between 170 and 235 cases to the backlog every week, Thompson added.
“We urge all Manitobans to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” Thompson said.
“Because right now we are on a trajectory that is leading to more cases, more hospitalizations, and more surgery cancellations as a result.”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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