Some surgeries paused at Kitchener hospitals as patients fill ICU

Some surgeries at Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener were temporarily paused this week because there were so many patients in the hospitals' intensive care units.

A Grand River Hospital spokesperson says surgeries are expected to resume next week, but they will reduce the number of surgeries again if necessary in the coming months.

A spokesperson for St. Mary's General Hospital said ICU capacity is currently "very high" with patients who have COVID-19 and those that do not, and the number of surgeries done each day has been lowered to ensure they don't go over capacity.

"Currently at St. Mary's, [approximately] four booked non-cancer elective surgeries have been postponed per day, as well as two cardiac surgeries per week, to preserve as much bed capacity as possible. Urgent and emergent surgeries continue, and at this time, day procedures continue which don't require an inpatient bed," the spokesperson said in an email. 

"Capacity is always dynamic, changing throughout the day and we work together as a group of hospitals in Waterloo Wellington to manage it."

An official at Cambridge Memorial Hospital said the hospital has not had to cancel surgeries this week.

Hospitals are concerned: Fife

On Wednesday, Waterloo NDP MPP Catherine Fife raised concerns about local hospitals having to cancel or postpone surgeries because of rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.

"Hospitals across the province are struggling under the surging second wave," Fife said during question period at Queen's Park.

She said hospitals are working through a backlog of surgeries and procedures that were paused due to the first wave of the pandemic and that this week, Grand River Hospital's ICU was overcapacity, leading to surgeries to be paused again.

"Which means even more people are going to be waiting for potentially life-altering health care because of this government's failure to invest in preventing the second wave," she said.

She added St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener and Cambridge Memorial Hospital "are close to hitting capacity."

Ontario 'flattening this curve,' health minister says

As of Thursday, 203 patients with COVID-19 were being treated in intensive care across the province, according to a report by Critical Care Services Ontario. That number is significant because public health officials have said that 150 is the threshold for when unrelated schedules and procedures may be postponed or cancelled.

Fife said Ontario hospitals are at a tipping point.

"Right now, we are at a crisis, another healthcare crisis for hospitals in Ontario. What does the premier have to say to the families in K-W who are now stressed and suffering because of his bad choices," she asked.

Responding to Fife in question period, Health Minister Christine Elliott said she had to "fundamentally disagree" with Fife's assessment of the government's work on the pandemic, and noted more healthcare workers and hospital beds have been created since March and the province has invested money in testing and contact tracing.

"In fact, Ontario is not in crisis right now. You want to speak about who's in crisis? Have you taken a look at Alberta where they're doubling up patients in intensive care units. We're not doing that in Ontario," she said. "We are flattening this curve."

On Friday, Ontario reported 1,780 new COVID-19 cases. The seven-day average of new daily cases dropped slightly to 1,759.