More than 150 non-urgent, scheduled surgeries at Island Health hospitals were postponed in the week of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2.

The 157 pushed-back procedures far exceeds the number of delays every other region across the province faced in that same time frame, with the next closest being Interior Health with 56.

The delayed surgery figures were released during Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 provincial update on COVID-19.

含羞草研究社淟ast week I reported that pressures from COVID-19 had caused the postponement of non-urgent scheduled surgeries in several health authorities,含羞草研究社� Health Minister Adrian Dix said at the briefing.

含羞草研究社淚t has an impact on surgeries everywhere, including on Vancouver Island.含羞草研究社�

He said every patient who had their appointment delayed would soon receive a phone call where they would get to reschedule their surgery.

含羞草研究社淭hroughout the pandemic, the people we含羞草研究社檙e relying on to deliver surgeries are in equal and greater measure counting on all of us to stop the spread so they can do their critical work,含羞草研究社� Dix said.

Vancouver Island hospitals have also taken in 22 patients from the Northern Health region who require critical care beds.

Among 32 overall patients from Northern Health transferred by air ambulance to other health authorities含羞草研究社� intensive care units, the 26 diagnosed as COVID-19-positive are all not fully vaccinated, Dix said.

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On Thursday, the Ministry of Health said they don含羞草研究社檛 break down where individual transfers are sent, but Island Health had 72 critical care beds in use as of Oct. 7.

There are 350 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C. as of Wednesday, including 136 in intensive care.

含羞草研究社淭he situation is being managed, but it is not in a good way when you have to make the kind of decisions we含羞草研究社檝e had to make,含羞草研究社� Dix said.

Healthcare workers are working flat out and 含羞草研究社渄eserve better than people diminishing their work,含羞草研究社� he added.

含羞草研究社淲e have some of the best outcomes for people in critical care, but do you know what would be better, fewer people in critical care with COVID-19. You know how we deal with that, we get vaccinated, it含羞草研究社檚 free, it含羞草研究社檚 available, get it done.含羞草研究社�

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Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that the Delta variant is affecting more young people and COVID-19 vaccines give very strong protection against severe illness.

含羞草研究社淣ot only is (Delta) way more transmissible, it含羞草研究社檚 causing more severe illness in younger people and we see that every day in our ICUs here now, in our hospitals, in the number of people who have severe illness, and sadly, in the number of deaths that we含羞草研究社檙e seeing,含羞草研究社� she said.

As of Tuesday, 90 per cent of people in critical care due to COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated and 17 out of 18 people under the age of 40 were unvaccinated.

Do you have a story tip? Email: jake.romphf@blackpress.ca.

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