The Saskatchewan Health Authority says they’ve set June 16th as the date for surgical and medical imaging to step into phase two of re-opening.
Hospitals across the province will now be allowed to bring in 65-70% of their surgical capacity, including urgent, emergent and some elective operations. The speed at which these services can resume will vary, as different medical facilities are at different stages of readiness.
Medical imaging capacity will also continue to increase in Phase Two, targeting a return to 90 per cent of pre-COVID-19 volumes across all services, including MRI and CT scans. Service levels for these programs are at 83 per cent now, up from 50 per cent since reintroduction began in May.
The SHA also plans to resume services like sleep disorder testing, cardiac stress testing, eye centre testing and operations, and additional cast clinics in June, varying by location. Virtual appointments will also continue to be an option where possible, with some face-to-face appointments resuming.
Although June 16 is when many of these services can start, SHA will be undertaking a rigorous process to make sure medical facilities are ready and safe, including following COVID-19 guidelines of physical distancing, co-horting staff, personal protective equipment usage, and gradual service resuming.
Since service resumption began on May 19, the SHA says more than 330 health services have now resumed, including harm reduction services, chronic disease management, therapy and rehabilitation services, well-baby checks, immunization services and home care.