Hospital CEO calls on Health Canada to approve Pfizer's antiviral pill amid health system strain

A Toronto hospital executive is calling on Health Canada to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pill amid increasing hospitalizations the country.

Dr. Kevin Smith, who is president and CEO of the University Health Network (UHN), told CTV News Channel on Sunday that the surge in COVID-19 cases is affecting capacity at the UHN's hospitals.

"We also have to remember that we don't only have Omicron or COVID patients to look after, but many, many, many other delayed patients, not to mention the urgent and emergent patients who present because of motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks, strokes, all sorts of other emergency events," he said.

On top of that, Smith said, between 50 and 100 health-care workers at UHN's hospitals are calling in sick every day.

"Obviously, when those people aren't caring for patients, that makes it all the more difficult for us to ensure continuity of care," he said.