The C-E-O for the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance says, like hospitals across the Ontario, they’re slowly beginning to restore services that they had to defer earlier in the year.
Andrew Williams says Ontario Health has given them approval to go back to 70 percent of their 2019 volumes, so the year before the pandemic started.
They are putting plans in place to do that, and it will allow them to open up additional operating rooms.
Williams says the next step will be 90 percent and then back to full capacity.
He says it’s great news and they’ll focus on those patients who have the longest wait, while also continue to make sure they treat the sickest patients first.
“We’re going to ramp up as quickly as we can, but make sure we do it in a very responsible way and in a way that allows us to adjust if we need to. You know, we don’t know what the impact will be on hospitalizations as public health measures are eased across the Province,” said Williams.
Williams says a lot of staff have been re-assigned to other areas in order to deal with COVID patients, so they’ll be brought back to their home areas.
Measures will remain in place for visitors to HPHA hospitals for the time being and they’ll review them at the end of March.
The Huron Perth Healthcare Family and Caregiver Guidelines can be found on the HPHA website.
