As the morning light streams through hospital windows across Canada, thousands of patients continue their anxious wait for surgeries that remain frustratingly out of reach. Four years after the initial COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, Canada’s healthcare system continues to struggle with surgical backlogs that have become a chronic condition of their own, leaving patients in prolonged pain and uncertainty.
Recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reveals a troubling reality: despite concentrated efforts to reduce surgical backlogs, wait times for priority procedures remain significantly longer than pre-pandemic levels. In 2023-2024, only 67% of Canadians received hip replacements within the recommended six-month benchmark, compared to 75% before the pandemic struck.
“The healthcare system is still experiencing the aftershocks of COVID-19,” explains Dr. Michael Gardam, an infectious disease specialist and hospital administrator in Toronto. “We’re dealing with a perfect storm of staffing shortages, increased patient complexity, and infrastructure limitations that were exacerbated by the pandemic but certainly weren’t created by it.”
The situation varies dramatically across provinces. British Columbia has made notable progress in addressing its surgical backlog, with approximately 85% of patients now receiving their procedures within clinical benchmarks for non-urgent surgeries. Meanwhile, Ontario’s healthcare system continues to face significant challenges, with nearly 250,000 patients currently waiting for various procedures.
Healthcare economists point to systemic issues that predate the pandemic. “Canada has historically underinvested in hospital capacity compared to other developed nations,” notes Dr. Katharine Smart, past president of the Canadian Medical Association. “We operated our system at near 100% capacity during normal times, leaving no room to absorb shocks like a pandemic.”
The human cost of these delays extends beyond physical pain. A recent survey conducted by the Canadian Medical Association found that 65% of patients waiting for surgery reported deteriorating mental health, while 42% indicated their condition had worsened to the point of requiring additional medical interventions.
Provincial health ministries have implemented various strategies to address the crisis. Alberta has contracted with private clinics to perform publicly funded surgeries, while Quebec has established dedicated surgical centers focused exclusively on high-volume procedures like cataracts and orthopedic surgeries. Saskatchewan has extended operating room hours and implemented weekend surgeries to reduce their backlog.
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland recently announced an additional $2 billion in targeted funding to provinces specifically for addressing surgical wait times, though critics argue this represents a bandage rather than the comprehensive structural reform needed.
“The pandemic didn’t break our healthcare system,” says Emily Jenkins, healthcare policy analyst at the University of British Columbia. “It simply exposed and accelerated fractures that were already there. Without fundamental changes to how we fund, staff, and organize healthcare delivery, we’ll continue to see these problems persist.”
For patients like 68-year-old Robert McIntyre of Halifax, who has been waiting 14 months for a knee replacement, statistics offer little comfort. “Every day is a struggle,” McIntyre explains. “I’ve gone from an active retiree to someone who can barely make it to the mailbox. The pain is constant, but the uncertainty about when I’ll get help might be even worse.”
Medical experts suggest the backlog will take at least another two years to resolve, even with aggressive intervention. This timeline assumes no further disruptions from COVID variants, influenza outbreaks, or other healthcare crises that could derail recovery efforts.
As Canada’s healthcare system struggles to regain its footing, the question remains: will this prolonged crisis finally catalyze the structural reforms needed to build a more resilient system, or will Canadians continue to accept increasingly longer waits as the new normal for accessing essential medical care?
