17.84°C Vancouver

May 7, 2020 9:45 PM -

B.C. government announces "ambitious plan" to reschedule thousands of cancelled surgeries

Share On
b-c-government-announces-ambitious-plan-to-reschedule-thousands-of-cancelled-surgeries
Premier John Horgan addressing media conference in Vancouver, about activating its provincial pandemic plan to deal with the novel coronavirus. Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry can also be seen in the pic. March 6, 2020. Connect News/Jawad Siddiqui

The B.C. government is announcing what it describes as an ``ambitious plan'' to rescheduled thousands of cancelled surgeries and increase capacity in the health-care system.

The government estimates it will take 17 to 24 months to clear a backlog of 30,000 patients whose surgeries have been cancelled or weren't scheduled because COVID-19 health restrictions.

It says those patients joined or remained on an existing backlog, bringing the total waiting list to 93,000.

The first year of the plan will cost $250 million, and includes hiring additional staff, expanding hours, opening new and unused spaces, and turning to private clinics.

Under the plan, the government says it will begin calling each patient to confirm that they want to proceed with surgery while COVID-19 is a concern.

Beginning May 18, surgical services will resume and increase capacity over four weeks to near-normal levels.


Latest news

one-person-critically-injured-in-road-rage-incident-in-north-vancouver
BCOct 06, 2025

One person critically injured in road rage incident in North Vancouver

RCMP in North Vancouver say a person suffered critical injuries in a road rage incident this weekend. Mounties say they responded after multiple witnesses reported a dispute over merging between a grey Subaru and a white Jeep near Boulevard Crescent and East 21st Street Saturday afternoon. It is alleged that during the interaction, the occupant of the Jeep got out of their vehicle and was hit by the grey Subaru. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition and police immediately took the driver of the Subaru into custody. The suspect is facing multiple charges and has since been let
AlbertaOct 06, 2025

Alberta teachers say provincewide strike aims to fix underfunded system in crisis

Alberta's teachers are off the job and the head of their union says it's about taking a stand to fix a cycle of underfunding and overcrowding. Jason Schilling says Alberta is failing to adequately fund education, the system is in ``crisis,'' and teachers owe it to students and future students to do what they can to change that. The 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association went on strike as promised this morning to back demands for a better deal. The labour action impacts more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools. Premier Daniel
police-investigating-overnight-shooting-at-south-surrey-business
CanadaOct 06, 2025

Police investigating overnight shooting at South Surrey business

Surrey Police Service (SPS) officers are investigating an overnight shots fired incident that has resulted in property damage to a South Surrey business. At about 2:20 am on October 6, 2025, SPS Frontline officers responded to calls of possible shots fired outside a business located in the 2100 block King George Boulevard, Surrey. Upon arrival, SPS officers confirmed that damage to the exterior of the building had been caused by gun shots. The business was closed at the time, no staff were inside, and there were no reports of any injuries. Officers remain on scene and will be examining the ar
alberta-premier-smith-urges-talks-as-alberta-teachers-launch-provincewide-strike
AlbertaOct 06, 2025

Alberta Premier Smith urges talks as Alberta teachers launch provincewide strike

Alberta's teachers are off the job and PremierDanielle Smith is urging them to come back to the bargaining table. Smith, speaking to reporters in Montreal, says the two sides are not far apart and expects fixing classroom complexity issues to be the focus of future talks. The 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association went on strike as promised this morning to back demands for a better deal. The labour action impacts more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools. The teachers overwhelmingly voted against the government's latest offer, w
three-men-arrested-charged-in-extortion-shooting-in-surrey-b-c-police
CanadaOct 06, 2025

Three men arrested, charged in extortion shooting in Surrey, B.C.: police

Three men have been arrested and charged on shooting allegations that police in Surrey, B.C., say are believed to be linked to an extortion investigation. Police say charges stem from an early-morning shooting on March 27 in a residential area of the city where multiple shots were fired at the home. The service says in a statement that no one was hurt and that its investigation eventually led police to believe the shooting was "related to an ongoing extortion investigation." All three accused are in their twenties and police say Mandeep Gidda, Nirmaandeep Cheema and Arundeep Singh are due to a

Related News