Effective immediately, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) will begin decreasing the number of elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries.
The move follows a provincial directive that’s intended to preserve bed capacity and healthcare staffing levels in response to rising COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. However, urgent and emergent surgeries and procedures will continue at the hospital.
“We understand the postponement of surgeries and procedures can be frustrating and stressful for patients and their families, but it is essential to preserving both bed and staff capacity in the hospital system right now,” hospital president and CEO Gail Hunt said.
“We are facing one of the most challenging times during the pandemic and must make difficult decisions to ensure resources can be directed where they’re needed the most.”
Areas impacted by the reduction in non-urgent and elective services include surgery, ambulatory care and diagnostic imaging.
The hospital noted it’s working closely with physicians to determine which procedures and surgeries will be postponed in the coming weeks.
If a scheduled procedure or surgery is postponed, patients will be contacted by the hospital or their physician’s office. If a patient has not been contacted about postponement, their procedure is continuing as scheduled.
If an individual has a requisition from their family physician for a non-urgent diagnostic imaging procedure (i.e. X-ray, ultrasound or CT), GBGH is asking that they delay walk-in visits to have this procedure completed at the hospital.
As well, the hospital plans to reschedule postponed surgeries and procedures once the directive is lifted by the province.
Hospital communications officer Jennifer Moore said that much like all hospitals across the province, GBGH is experiencing similar staffing challenges, “which we continue to work through daily.”
Moore said the hospital has also not made any further restrictions to visitation since its December 22 announcement.
“We are currently allowing two designated visitors per admitted patient for the duration of their hospital stay or while GBGH remains at this level of visitation,” Moore said. “Of the two designated visitors, one is permitted to visit per day between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.”
