Another Kitchener hospital defers elective surgeries as others prepare similar plan

A day after St. Mary’s hospital announced it was cancelling some elective procedures another Kitchener hospital says it’s also postponing some surgeries.

Grand River Hospital in Kitchener confirmed it is deferring all tonsillectomies until December.

The hospital told CTV News it is doing everything it can to lessen the impact on patients.

"We put many strategies in place to manage increased volumes, including using non-traditional spaces to provide patient care," a spokesperson said via email.

Meanwhile, other hospitals are preparing similar plans just in case.

The Brant Community Healthcare System said it is experiencing high patient volumes, but at this point, has not cancelled any surgeries.

Huron-Perth Health Alliance (HPHA) said it is also seeing higher patient volume but has not cancelled any surgeries at this point.

“I would say we are anticipating that it may happen, and we are putting plans in place in case it does happen,” HPHA Vice President People & Chief Quality Executive Mary Cardinal said.

Cardinal added: “We are not there yet."

Cardinal said this is much like the third wave of COVID-19 in the Spring of 2021 “where we had to respond very quickly.”

“We are making plans to be able to respond quickly if that indeed happens,” she added.

St. Mary’s hospital stated the surgery cancellations are due to high admissions through the emergency department, as well as “high bed occupancy on our inpatient units and continued staffing pressures.”

The ongoing healthcare staffing crisis is just one piece contributing to the crunch across the province.

Hospitals are also dealing with an influx of COVID-19 cases, Influenza cases and a surge of R.S.V cases, which typically impact school-age children.

Almost every local hospital website has a message warning about long emergency room wait times.

Many, including Groves Memorial in Fergus, also share links to alternative care options for non-emergency-related illnesses.

Cardinal says the HPHA was asked today by regional partners to add two more pediatric inpatient beds to their resources.

Cardinal says they are planning to facilitate the request as soon as possible. Part of the planning is finding qualified staff. This would bring their current total of four pediatric inpatient beds to six.

“Two beds doesn’t sound like much, perhaps, but when you are caring for really ill children, it is.”

Cardinal explained this would help take the pressure off neighbouring hospitals such as London or Hamilton which specialize in pediatrics.

She added that all regions in Southern Ontario are working together to build a plan.

“Just as we've done when the adult population was so affected with COVID,” Cardinal said.

“We are just taking all those lessons, our resources and applying them to the current surge of need,” she added.