Surgery diversions an ongoing concern in Calgary, doctors say

Doctors say surgery diversions continue to plague Calgary hospitals and there is no end in sight.

Diversions for general surgery — operations performed for problems such as appendicitis — are being triggered by a shortage of surgical support staff, including medical residents, on an ongoing basis.

Over the weekend, seven patients had to be transferred out when Rockyview General Hospital went on a general surgery diversion, according to Alberta Health Services.

There are times when multiple hospitals can be impacted at once.

Dr. Arun Abbi, a Calgary emergency room physician, said general surgery diversions used to be rare in the city, but now he sees them two or three times a week.

And they impact patients with a variety of health concerns.

"It's appendicitis, a perforated bowel, gall bladder issues," said Abbi, who is president of the Alberta Medical Association's section of emergency medicine.

"I've had a few cases where I have to get them transferred on an urgent basis so they can get to the operating room that evening." 

According to Abbi, this can lead to more ER backlogs and further strain on EMS.

"You're taking an ambulance out of the system to transfer the patient to another site. And as we know, ambulances are currently busy already."

AHS said that during the weekend diversion at Rockyview, emergency surgeries continued to be provided on-site.

"During a temporary surgical diversion, all patients are triaged and treated, and our medical teams evaluate all patients who may require surgery, as they always do," spokesperson James Wood said in an emailed statement.

Wood added that surgeons were on staff at all hospitals and available throughout the weekend for urgent and emergency care.

"Some support shifts, such as medical residents, were not covered at Rockyview General Hospital due to unexpected absences, including illness and vacation," he said.