Windsor Regional Hospital has indicated it is effectively handling an issue that has plagued healthcare systems across Ontario, surgery backlogs.
The hospital's board of directors heard a progress report on surgeries at its meeting Thursday. As of August 21, 3,223 patients were waiting for a procedure. This represented a 40 per cent drop from March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began in earnest. The number of people waiting for surgery at that time was 5,346.
Hospital President and CEO David Musyj said there has also been a reduction in the backlog for what are termed "long waiter" patients, defined as patients who have been waiting longer than their primary timeline.
"As of August 21, there's been an 11 per cent reduction of long waiters, as compared to March of 2023," said Musyj.
The report presented to the board said the highest volume of patients waiting for surgery was for orthopedic procedures. There has also been a significant drop in patients waiting for gynecological surgeries, along with those in oral, maxillofacial, and dentistry.
Rosemary Petrakos, WRH Vice-President for Surgery, Peri-Operative, and Women's and Children's Services, said staff have been working hard to put a dent in the backlog.
"We've been running those rooms later into the evening," said Petrakos. "We've also been operating on Saturdays and Sundays, even over the summer, and we've got some scheduled in September."
Thursday afternoon's meeting was the first by the board after its summer break. St. Clair College President Patti France has moved into the chairperson's seat. Retired credit union CEO Ian McLeod is the new vice-chair. Previous chair Anthony Paniccia is the new board treasurer.
