Hospitals strained by respiratory viruses forced to cancel surgeries; officials urge unvaccinated to get flu, COVID shots

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This article was published 14/12/2023 (1053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Surgeries are being postponed amid “serious capacity challenges” in Manitoba’s health system this flu season, the province’s health minister and top doctor announced Thursday.

Postponing a scheduled surgery “is only ever done as a last resort,” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said during a news conference with Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer. They urged Manitobans to get their flu shots and COVID-19 boosters, saying most patients now landing in the ICU with respiratory symptoms are unvaccinated.

Officials are working to reschedule postponed surgeries as soon as possible, the health minister said, noting several elective procedures recently had to be cancelled at Grace Hospital.

There were 64 elective surgeries postponed at Winnipeg hospitals in the past two weeks owing to lack of staff or beds.

“We will note that all surgeries triaged as emergent and urgent continue to be performed. However, we empathize with those whose surgeries were postponed, as we know (they) are considered urgent to individuals who are waiting,” a Shared Health spokesperson said in a statement issued Thursday evening.

There were 105 adult and pediatric patients receiving intensive care as of midnight Thursday; 14 of them had either COVID-19 or influenza, Shared Health stated.

Although the respiratory virus season is still in its early stages, the holiday-gatherings season is in high gear and influenza infections are hitting earlier than expected, Roussin said.

And the peak is yet to come.

“Part of the reason why we’re here today is because it’s really tough to have to cancel those surgeries that people are depending on, and so we want for folks to think about your grandmother who’s been waiting for that hip surgery,” Asagwara said.

“(Think about) folks who are waiting for specific treatments, as they make decisions over the holidays and take steps that can prevent people from ending up in ICU. Getting vaccinated can actually help support you staying out of those beds.”

Vaccine uptake this fall is on par with last year. Manitoba is slightly ahead of the national average in COVID-19 booster uptake, Roussin said, and flu shot uptake sits at about 22 per cent of the eligible population.

Asked what they have learned over the course of the pandemic that could be implemented now to avoid cancelling surgeries during flu season, both officials said it’s crucial to give Manitobans the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, and make sure vaccines are easy to access.

Asagwara also pointed a finger at the previous provincial government and to national challenges in recruiting health-care staff.

“We’ve also learned there was a lot of damage done to the system in terms of beds being cut and decisions being made that impacted our capacity,” the minister said.

The province is looking at contingency plans “on a daily basis,” Asagwara said, adding the system has the ability to set up more beds.

Health Sciences Centre added 13 beds and is trying to improve the flow of patients through the hospital.

“The solutions we have brought forward, the steps that we have taken — these aren’t permanent solutions, but they will help ease the pressure as we do the hard work to build capacity in our health-care system,” the health minister said.

As of last week, 318,000 people had received a flu shot and 240,000 had received a COVID-19 booster over the past few months.

“Now is that time, if you haven’t had an opportunity, to be vaccinated,” Roussin said. “It takes some time for your body to build up that immune response so we can all be protected for the next couple weeks.”

— With files from Danielle Da Silva

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com