Delayed surgeries and staffing shortages at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital

EDMONTON (CityNews) ─ Anyone who’s waiting for an operation knows how stressful that time can be.

And now dozens of Albertans scheduled for orthopedic surgery − like hip and knee replacements − are left waiting again, as staffing concerns close four operating rooms at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Fifty-three patients had their surgeries rescheduled as the operating rooms closed for three days.

Alberta Health Services says they have the surgeons, nurses and anesthetists, but no doctors to take care of patients during recovery − specifically overnight. AHS says this doesn’t impact emergency orthopedic surgery.

“Our health-care workforce is tired,” said Dr. Curtis Johnston, the AHS deputy zone medical director for the Edmonton zone. “They’ve worked extremely hard and they’ve done the best they can to serve Albertans. And we have limits as humans.”

Johnston paints a picture of fatigue on the front lines as the pandemic continues, leading to not being able to fill vacations or vacancies.

The opposition NDP believes contract negotiations with both doctors and nurses are leading to some of the fatigue and staffing issues.

“Health Minister Tyler Shandro must take responsibility for his actions, and he needs to do so today,” said David Shepherd, an Alberta NDP MLA.

The health minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment by CityNews.

AHS says the staffing issues are complex, and while they are working on it, it is tenuous.

Alberta is still playing pandemic surgery catch-up. The province has completed two out of three of every postponed operations from the first three waves.

“There’s a possibility that there may be further delays in surgery depending on a number of factors that are out of our control,” said Johnston.

AHS says those 53 postponed surgeries should be rebooked for September. Doctors say they will always find room for any patient in need of care, and not to delay treatment because of the closures.