Windsor Regional Hospital to begin working through surgery backlog

Zander Broeckel

AM800-NEWS-SURGERY-TOOLS-GETTY-1.1999057 To go with Myanmar-health,FEATURE by Preeti JHA In a photo taken on August 18, 2015, a nurse prepares surgical tools ahead of an operation at the Muslim free hospital in Yangon. With lights flashing and sirens blaring, volunteer ambulance driver Myint Hein weaves through traffic-choked Yangon, a lifeline in Myanmar where healthcare was crippled by decades of chronic underfunding during junta rule. While budgets have increased since 2011's end of outright army rule, Myanmar -- the world's fourth-fastest growing economy -- is still one of the lowest spenders on healthcare as a share of GDP. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images) ((NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images))

The province is allowing elective and nonurgent surgeries to slowly ramp back up

A plan is in place at Windsor Regional Hospital to catch up on surgeries put off due to COVID-19 restrictions.

According to a hospital release, the province has lifted Directive 2, meaning elective and non-urgent surgeries can slowly ramp back up.

As of Tuesday, nearly 4,200 patients were waiting for surgeries — that's an increase of roughly 750 since Ontario put the directive in place on January 4.

The hospital says patients will be notified by their physician regarding any newly scheduled dates for surgeries.

The community is asked to be patient as the hospital works through the backlog over the next several months.