Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington have announced a plan to pause non-urgent services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m., Thursday, the two hospitals will begin a staged "ramping down" of non-urgent, elective surgeries and diagnostic scans, as well as ambulatory clinics.
Patients impacted by the decision will be contacted in advance if their scheduled appointments are affected.
The decision is being made following a Ministry of Health directive to Ontario hospitals.
Windsor Regional Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Wassim Saad, said in a release, that they will continue to assess and make changes based on the evolution of the province's pandemic response plans.
"We are doing our best to work in tandem with our hospital partners to reduce the potential exposure of our employees and professional staff to the COVID-19 virus, while also conserving our hospital resources for the most urgent needs," he said.
Windsor Regional Hospital performs 600 to 700 elective or non-urgent surgeries a week.
Dr. Saad told AM800's The Morning Drive that the decision will free-up 150 to 170 beds in terms of capacity at the hospital.
"As a result of the need to reduce non-urgent services in the hospital setting, hospital staff and physicians are making difficult decisions on what services can be delayed," said Dr. Ross Moncur, Erie Shores HealthCare Chief of Staff.
Windsor Regional Hospital is asking all clinics and physicians to explore virtual care as an alternative for their patients.
Dr. Saad adds that they just don't know when that peak {of COVID-19 cases}, that everyone's expecting, is going to hit.
"Based on experience in Spain and Italy, we just don't want to be under prepared and have this wave hit, and have Ontario hospitals be overwhelmed with patients and not be able to care for them."
The goal of these measures, as stated by the Ministry of Health, is to "preserve capacity as cases of COVID-19 continue to grow in Ontario."