As COVID-19 cases in the Central Okanagan continues to surge, health care settings have had to adjust to accommodate incoming patients, including cancelling or pushing back surgeries once again.

During a Thursday, Aug. 12, COVID-19 press conference, Health Minister Adrian Dix said it has been a challenging time for the health care sector, with multiple contributing factors as to why some surgeries are being cancelled again.

鈥淎t 琉璃神社 General Hospital, Vernon Jubilee Hospital and Royal Inland Hospital, we鈥檝e been doing more surgeries than we鈥檝e done before,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hat reflects the extraordinary work of people there, (but) there are staffing challenges in our system that are connected to extraordinary demand鈥� when you have circumstances such as people off sick in terms of COVID-19, that has an impact as well.

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鈥淭here have been the cancellation of a small number of surgeries; I think 50 over the coming week in terms of cancellation of surgeries at 琉璃神社 General Hospital. This reflects the adjustments we make all the time based on the circumstances.鈥�

Dix added the cancellations allow for staff and resources to be moved around to where they are needed more during this time: to help people deal with the heat, wildfire smoke, and COVID-19.

鈥淭here are challenges at 琉璃神社 General, there are challenges in other health care facilities in the province, for health care professionals and health care workers and we鈥檙e working through those,鈥� he said.

Dix and B.C.鈥檚 top doctor Bonnie Henry also addressed burnout within the health care sector, something expressed by several local nurses on social media as of late.

鈥淚t does not surprise me that people are burning out, that they鈥檙e leaving their profession. I see that from physicians; I see that from my ICU colleagues who are having challenges finding that balance again in our lives鈥� I see it from all across the health sector,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e do need to do what we can to support nurses, to support all of the health care workers in our settings all across the province,鈥� Henry said.

Henry and Dix also announced a new mandate for long-term care and assisted living workers: as a condition to their employment.

The mandate comes as the virus continues to infiltrate long-term care facilities, with the Interior Health region recording seven facility outbreaks: One in Cranbrook, one in Nelson, and five in the Central Okanagan.

twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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