Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. (Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Increased Capacity Needed

Non-urgent surgeries being postponed in Edmonton & North zones due to COVID spikes

Aug 28, 2021 | 2:18 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Alberta Health Services (AHS) is advising people waiting to get non-urgent surgeries in two health zones that they will have to wait a bit longer.

Officials are having to create additional acute and ICU capacity at facilities in the Edmonton Health Zone and North Health Zone.

“This will result in the postponement of some non-urgent surgeries and procedures to ensure we have the beds and staff required to take care of all patients needing hospital care, including those with COVID-19 as well as other Albertans who are sick or injured,” reads a release from AHS.

In the Edmonton Zone, up to 30 per cent of non-urgent surgeries and procedures will be postponed starting August 30.

For the North Zone, 45 elective surgeries per week at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Grande Prairie will be put on hold as of August 30.

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Impacted patients will be contacted directly by AHS.

“AHS is currently working through the province’s surgical backlog brought on by the pandemic. For the last two months we have been operating at 100 per cent of pre-COVID-19 surgical levels, and have been performing more non-urgent scheduled surgeries.”

There are currently 108 COVID patients in hospital in the Edmonton Zone including 27 in ICU. The same is the case for 34 and four people respectively for the North Zone.

“I feel for these families,” said NDP Health Critic, David Shepherd, in a press release Friday. “These Albertans waiting for surgery will have to wait even longer due to the complete lack of leadership from the UCP government in the middle of a public health crisis.

“The UCP ignored every warning sign while telling Albertans they did not foresee a fourth wave. Now, it’s here. As COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro continue to avoid Albertans and accountability.

“It’s time for them to come out of hiding and present a plan to protect the health of Albertans.”

Meantime, the NDP says an email from AHS obtained by the party, indicates emergency rooms in Cold Lake, St. Paul, Elk Point, Spirit River, Wabasca and Beaverlodge are in urgent need of coverage throughout September, some for weeks at a time.

“The UCP claimed this doctor shortage in rural Alberta was just a summer problem but clearly that is not the case,” said Shepherd. “These shortages are going to continue well into the fall and without real action from this government, more Albertans’ care will be put at risk.”

“I’m glad the Health Minister is back at work but he needs to admit there is a problem, step up and show some leadership. It is now clear that Alberta is in a fourth wave, frontline care is being pushed to the brink and Albertans have not heard from anyone in this government. Where is the leadership?”

The NDP says that according to Alberta Health Services’ interactive map, 26 communities in the province currently have bed closures due to staffing shortages.

(With files from rdnewsNOW)