B.C. has almost wiped out the backlog of surgeries that developed during the pandemic and heat wave: Adrian Dix

Health Minister Adrian Dix says BC has almost wiped out the backlog of surgeries that developed during the pandemic and was made worse by last summer's heat wave and November's catastrophic floods.

Dix says 400 nurses and 100 technicians have been trained through the province's surgical renewal program and efforts are underway to increase hiring.

He made the announcement at a news conference this morning, saying most of the surgeries postponed during the fifth wave of COVID-19 have now been performed.

Dix says 1,7000 operating room hours were added last year, allowing completion of more than52,000 urgent scheduled surgeries and over 72-thousand unscheduled, emergency procedures.