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
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.