Patients are being flown south
Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 04/01) - Dr. David Cook says more patients could end up being flown to Edmonton for surgery that should be done in Yellowknife but it isn't because of patient wards being amalgamated.
Of four patients sent south so far in April the chief of surgery reports, "two were referred from a general surgeon and two were referred by an obstetrician-gynecologist.
"They tell me they were cases that, (after) weighing things out, they decided that patient would be better off having their care in Edmonton," Cook said.
Since last June, surgery patients have been recovering in other sections of Stanton Regional Hospital, including the children's ward.
The over $250,000 in savings the move has generated so far is going toward reducing a $1.6-million deficit.
Patients being added to a surgery waiting list could be sent to Edmonton if the 14-bed surgery ward stays closed.
The four sent so far have cost about $20,000 in hospital care and airplane ticket costs, says Stanton Regional Health Board CEO Dennis Cleaver. The Stanton Board receives the money for the extra costs from the territorial government.
"We can't do everything," Dr. Cook said.
"We don't have all specialists here. And within a given specialty, there are some things that are beyond our abilities, either our own surgical skills or the skill of the institution."
Cleaver says the Yellowknife hospital still performs 200 surgeries a month, including minor day surgery.
Stanton Health Region's 11 surgeons decide case to case which patients to send to Edmonton, he said.
The waiting list for elective surgery "tends to take on average two to three months."
