Almost 16 million medical procedures built up in Ontario pandemic backlog
The pandemic has created a backlog of an estimated 15.9 million medical procedures – more than one for every resident in Ontario, according to the Ontario Medical Association.
That’s in addition to the wait list of procedures that existed before the pandemic began.
“Three serious waves of infections have created a lengthy backlog of surgeries, diagnostic exams and other health-care procedures,” OMA President Dr. Adam Kassam said in a statement Wednesday.
To track the backlog, the OMA compared OHIP billing data for six procedures in 2020 to the same time period in 2021.
The OMA found the most significant backlog in the following procedures:
- MRIs: 477,301
- CT scans: 269,683
- Cataract surgery: 90,136
- Knee replacements: 38,263
- Hip replacements: 16,506
- Coronary artery bypass grafts: 3,163
If Ontario’s medical community worked at 120 per cent capacity, it would take them the following time periods to clear the backlog:
- MRIs: 10 months
- CT scans: 4 months
- Cataract surgeries: 21 months
- Knee replacements: 22 months
- Hip replacements: 14 months
- Cardiac surgery: 10 months
The bottleneck of procedures put on pause is more severe in community settings than hospitals, which according to the OMA, suggests that Ontarians are deferring visits to family doctors, a crucial stage in screening for chronic conditions.
By comparison, community settings have a backlog of 9.6 million procedures, while the backlog at hospitals is 6.5 million.
“We have also heard from community-based family doctors and specialists, who are reporting conditions that were left undiagnosed during the pandemic as patients avoided seeking help,” Dr. Kassam said.
On top of the backlog of unaddressed procedures and undiagnosed illness, Ontario’s doctors are expecting to see a surge in mental health and addiction care that will grow for years. After the 1918 influenza, mental health diagnoses linked to the pandemic continued for six years.
In a recent report, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office found it will take more than three years and $1.3 billion to work through the backlog of surgeries and procedures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.