AHS postpones non-urgent surgeries as COVID-19 cases rise in Alberta

CALGARY — Alberta Health Services (AHS) is once again delaying non-urgent surgeries as COVID cases rise in the province.

AHS says the recent surge in cases is putting an increased demand on hospital resources and it is taking the necessary steps to create more acute and ICU capacity.

“This proactive approach mirrors similar surgical reductions during previous waves. AHS will maintain emergent, urgent procedures, as well as prioritized cancer surgeries,” AHS said in a release on Friday.

“These measures will help free up space in our hospitals for patients who need a higher level of care, and allow us to redeploy frontline staff and resources to areas of greatest need.”

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AHS says anyone who is affected will be contacted, with service adjustments being planned in two zones.

In the North Zone, roughly 45 elective surgeries per week at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Grande Prairie will be postponed beginning on Aug. 30.

While in the Edmonton Zone, up to 30 per cent of non-urgent surgeries will postponed during the same timeframe.

“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.

“All backlogged surgeries in wave one have been rebooked and 96 per cent of all delayed surgeries from wave one, two and three have been completed.”