COVID-19 surge causing delays for non-virus patients

CALGARY – More than 1,000 daily COVID-19 cases and increased hospitalizations each day in Alberta have caused a negative ripple effect throughout the entire health-care system.

People who are trying to seek non-COVID-19 medical attention are often being left with cancellations and longer wait times.

Three weeks ago, Beth Allan found a lump in her breast. Her doctor told her she needed to book a mammogram as soon as she could, so she called that same day.

A day before her appointment, she was notified that it was cancelled.

“You’re not going to know what’s happening in your body and then they tell you the wait is much longer because techs and things like that are just not available. So, now, not only did I have to wait the first three weeks, you have to wait another three weeks or a month,” shared Allan.

RELATED: Hospitalizations continue climb as COVID-19 cases rise in Alberta

She called several clinics and jumped on the first cancellation. She received her mammogram on Friday.

“I was lucky that I had virtually unlimited time to call, that I have a vehicle and can drive anywhere in the province basically to get in. And not everyone has those. If you can only do something after work or if you could do anything that’s only transit-accessible or any of those things, I would imagine the wait time would be much longer,” she said.

“It just drives home the fact that so much of what we count on and so much of what we’re used to having just work is under threat.”

Alberta Health Services says it is delaying non-urgent surgeries as the surge in cases has put increased strains on hospital resources. It adds that this will help free up space in hospitals for patients who need a higher level of care.

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

Allan will receive her results on Tuesday and although her doctor urged her to get a mammogram as soon as she could, her doctor reassured her that her lump was probably nothing. But for many others in similar situations, the outcome could be worse.

“It’s that piece of uncertainty right? If I get into a car accident is there going to be an ICU bed for me? We’ve never had to worry about that stuff before.”

In a statement to CityNews, the province says in part, “Alberta is not looking at additional measures at this time. The best action Albertans can take to limit the spread of COVID-19 is to be vaccinated.”

Allan agrees the best way to combat COVID-19 is with the vaccine.

“Maybe a requirement to check in with ourselves and say when we choose to live in a society we choose to give up some of our freedoms because our freedoms end when they infringe on another person freedoms,” she said.