Pediatric hospital appointments cancelled in Sask. as COVID numbers rise

Twelve-year-old Carter Howard-Orth was supposed to be seen by a cardiologist at the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon this week.

Instead, because of the record number of COVID-19 patients in hospital in Saskatchewan, he is one of many children in the province whose appointments have been indefinitely delayed. 

Howard-Orth was born with a congenital heart defect and is supposed to have an echocardiogram every six months to monitor his health. 

"Eventually, he will need a heart valve replacement," said his mother Kiera Orth. "As he is growing, we just wait for him to show signs of the function of that valve declining, and then he will be a candidate for a valve replacement."

Since Orth found out her son's appointment was cancelled, she has been calling "whoever they'll put me through to on the hospital switchboard," trying to find a way to get him seen. 

She said they are planning for surgery in the next few years, so these appointments are very important.

"I'm very worried," she said. "If you were to speak to the cardiologist, she would say he has significant heart valve disease. He is a critical patient within their care, and he should be seen."