The reduction of surgical waiting lists is overdue

COVID-19-related hospitalizations are on the rise again in Quebec, which does nothing to help resume surgical operations, according to Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS), the D^ref. Lucia Opatriny. The government is currently conducting an analysis to determine whether waiting lists can be reduced as expected by 1^is April 2023, he says.

According to the MSSS, more than 22,000 Quebec patients have been waiting for an operation for a year or more. Before the pandemic, this number of “late patients” was around 2,500. Quebec wants to reach this pre-pandemic threshold within six months.

“We are still able to achieve [cette cible] in April 2023, or will it be a few months later? »Says the d^ref. Opatrny, in interview with The duty Wednesday. The MSSS will be resolved in a few days, according to her.

One thing is certain, the health situation affects recovery surgery. The seventh wave in the summer slowed it down and an eighth, depending on its strength, could hurt the recovery, again according to D^ref. Careful.

According to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, the indicator is “yellow” regarding COVID-19 in Quebec. “Currently, what we are seeing is a steady increase in cases over the past four weeks, especially among people aged 70 and over and among healthcare professionals,” he said during an interview at the press conference held Wednesday with the National Director of Public Health for Quebec, Dr.^r Luc Boileau.

In the province, hospitalizations for Covid-19 are increasing. Quebec reported 2030 on Wednesday, 207 more than the day before. The National Institute for Excellence in Health and Social Services predicts that within two weeks the number of regular beds occupied by patients with the disease could rise to around 2,300. In ICU, this number could reach around 47.

According to the institute, cases in which the main reason for hospitalization is COVID account for about 35% of hospitalizations.

“The weight of these people [hospitalisées] it is even clearer than during the other waves, it indicates the D.^ref. Opatria. But if we had half the patients in those beds, that would free up the beds for something else. “

Each seat is counted in the network. “Hundreds” of hospital beds remain closed due to a lack of manpower, underlines the deputy minister. Nearly 3,750 healthcare workers are currently absent for reasons related to COVID-19 (preventive withdrawal, isolation, awaiting results, etc.).

To “limit the pressure” on the network, Christian Dubé invites Quebecers to receive a booster dose if they received the last dose more than five months ago or if they contracted COVID-19 more than three months. He also encourages people to wear the mask when they show symptoms of the disease.

“Until we managed to have additional staff, the full return from vacation […]the decompartimentation of professions, we have to work with what we have: it is vaccination and respiratory etiquette, ”he said during the press conference.

According to the latest available data, 22% of Quebec adults have an up-to-date vaccination (they have received at least one dose in the past five months). This percentage reaches 39% among people aged 60 to 79 and 52% among people aged 80 and over. “What we don’t know is the number of people [dans ces catégories] who have had Covid, ”the minister said.

Recovery solutions

There are several solutions in place for the resumption of surgical interventions, in particular in the ophthalmological field, according to D.^ref. Opatria. “For cataract surgery, the average waiting time is about 12 weeks,” she says. Why are there thousands of people waiting more than 12 months? There are places where it is the surgeon who makes their list instead of a planning center with administrative agents [qui ont toutes les listes et qui peuvent prioriser des patients]. “

The D^ref. Opatrny says she informed surgeons, in a letter, that they should offer their patients to be operated on by a colleague if their waiting list is too long.

To reduce the number of patients waiting for surgery, Quebec continues to use specialized medical centers. But “the types of surgeries” performed are “really quite limited,” according to Dr.^ref. Opatria. Explain that these private clinics “have no blood bank or intensive care,” for example.

The MSSS is also trying to free up beds by reducing the number of patients who no longer need short-term care, but who remain hospitalized due to lack of CHSLD places, intermediate resources or family-type resources. It asks health facilities to offer home care to these users so that they wait for their place in the accommodation and relies, among other things, on the support of caregivers. As of October 7, these patients occupied 13.29% of hospital beds.

According to the deputy minister, this measure could help unlock emergency rooms. At 6pm Wednesday, the stretcher occupancy rate averaged 153% in Montreal hospitals, 147% in Laurentians and 141% in Montérégie. “Right now, we have occupancy rates that we don’t usually see in the months of September-October. It worries us, “he said.

The flu season hasn’t started yet. The MSSS also relies on front-line access desks to direct orphaned patients or patients waiting for a family doctor to the right professionals when they have a health problem.

To see in video