NEWS RELEASE
COLLINGWOOD GENERAL AND MARINE HOSPITAL
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As new COVID cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions have begun trending downward, Ontario Health rescinded Directive #2 on May 19, giving hospitals the green light to gradually and cautiously begin ramping up non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures.
Today, CGMH resumed two operating rooms, for the resumption of outpatient and day surgeries, which don’t require an inpatient bed. This will ensure CGMH and all hospital’s across Ontario can continue to respond to an increase in COVID patients and patient transfers.
By Monday, May 31, CGMH will resume all operating room procedures and endoscopies, for outpatient and day surgeries. Ontario Health will provide the green light on when surgeries with inpatient admissions can begin, based on its gradual ramp-up plan.
Ontario ramped down all elective surgeries and non-emergent/urgent activities on April 12, 2021, in order to preserve critical care and human resource capacity across the province. At CGMH, this accounted for just under 500 cancelled surgeries over the 5.5 week ramp down.
“This has understandably been an extremely challenging time for patients and families who have endured many cancellations. Surgeon’s offices and the hospital are working as quickly as possible to reschedule surgeries and clinic appointments, in a safe way, while continuing to maintain capacity levels which would allow us to continue to care for and accept COVID patient transfers,” says Norah Holder, CGMH president and CEO.
Physicians and surgeons’ offices have begun contacting patients to advise of new surgery dates, and the hospital will be following up with all impacted Outpatient, DI and Ambulatory Care Clinics.
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