Ontario has opened the door for the resumption of surgeries.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says they have released a comprehensive roadmap to help hospitals begin planning for the gradual return of scheduled surgeries and procedures.
The timelines for when hospitals will resume surgeries and other procedures will vary as each hospital meets the criteria set out by Ontario health.
That includes:
-A stable number of COVID-19 cases
-A stable supply of personal protection equipment
-A stable supply of medications
-An adequate capacity of inpatient and intensive care unit beds
-An adequate capacity of health human resources
-The availability of post-acute care outside the hospital that would be required to support patients after discharge
Elliott says the criteria will ensure hospitals take a measured and responsible approach that allows for more life saving surgeries, while also preserving our continued ability to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks or surges.
She adds it prioritizes the health and safety of patients and health care workers, while maintaining plans to support long-term care homes.
The framework also sets out the criteria for prioritizing surgeries such as:
-A patients condition
-The type of procedure a patient requires and whether options for non-operative treatments exist
-The associated risks of delaying a patients surgery
-The resources required in terms of personal protection equipment, medications, intensive care unit beds, and other care requirements needed after an operation.
Hospitals will need to assess if there is adequate staffing, equipment and other resources to resume scheduled care.
The assessment will be revisited on a weekly basis to reflect changing needs and requirements.
