Wait times for surgeries are reportedly increasing in Canada

 

Patients across Canada's provinces are reportedly waiting longer for hip, knee replacements, cancer surgeries and other priority procedures than before the Covid pandemic. According to a report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), wait times have increased. The report indicated that between April and September 2023, more people underwent the procedure but had to wait longer.

Although the number of procedures for surgery rose 18 percent, 66 percent of hip replacement patients had surgery within the recommended 26 weeks, compared with 75 percent in 2019, the data said. 59 percent of people who had knee surgery said they had the surgery done within the time frame. It was 70 percent before the Covid pandemic.

According to the CIHI director, due to shortage of staff, availability of beds and operating room time in hospitals, increasing population of elderly people and more health check-ups and procedures for them, surgeries cannot be performed on time.

Only 21 percent of Prince Edward Island patients had knee surgery within 26 weeks. This is the lowest rate in the country. Meanwhile, patients in Ontario waited the shortest amount of time for nearly all procedures. The data showed that 76 percent of patients in the province had knee replacement surgery within the recommended time frame. In BC, the rate is 57 percent. In Alberta, 49 percent of people who underwent knee replacement surgery were within the recommended range.