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B.C. making progress in clearing surgical backlog amid staffing issues

Click to play video: 'B.C. government working on surgical backlog in health-care system'
B.C. government working on surgical backlog in health-care system
The B.C. government says it's making progress in moving through its surgical backlog but staffing issues are still cancelling dozens of surgeries. Aaron McArthur has the story. – Jan 14, 2023

The B.C. government says it’s making progress in moving through its surgery backlog, but some procedures are still being cancelled.

The pressure on B.C.’s health-care system remains intense amid ongoing staffing issues.

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 7, 190 surgeries were cancelled across the province, mostly due to staff shortages, according to officials.

At the same time, the government said hospitals are working hard to get patients under the knife.

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The week before Christmas, health authorities completed nearly 4,700 surgeries across the province. The week before that almost 7,500 surgeries were completed.

”We are completing more surgeries at any week than at any time in the history of the health care system in British Columbia,” said B.C. health minister Adrian Dix.

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Ontario is experiencing a similar issue with backlogged surgeries. Officials there have taken a different approach to address the problem.

The Ontario government has allocated $8 million to two private hospitals to perform more than 3,300 surgeries.

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