H1N1 Prompts Surgery Postponements in Canada

ONTARIO, Canada—The Niagara Health System (of Canada) is postponing all elective surgeries and endoscopy procedures that are scheduled for Nov. 11, 2009, because emergency rooms and urgent care centers across the region are seeing a “dramatic” spike in patient visits and staff absence, according to the Niagara Falls Review newspaper. The surgery postponement will allow staff members to be redeployed to other areas of the hospital.

Postponed surgeries are being rescheduled. All emergency surgeries, cancer cases, and other procedures that could potentially affect the patients' outcome if delayed will proceed, the newspaper reported.

The Niagara Health System includes seven sites and serves 434,000 residents.

“Emergency rooms and urgent care centers across Niagara saw a 32.6 percent overall increase in patient volumes Monday—679 patients compared to the September daily average of 512,” according to the Niagara Falls Review. “... Douglas Memorial's Urgent Care Centre saw 73 patients Monday, up 49 percent from September's daily average. ...Of the 721 patients seen in regionwide ERs, urgent care centers and the St. Catharine’s flu assessment center Monday, 43 percent, or 307 patients, presented with flu symptoms.”

To read the Niagara Falls Review story, click here.