The Inter-Health Canada-run TCI Hospital is limiting its invasive surgery measures to only emergency, specifically clinical and urgent cases, for the foreseeable future, the institution said Monday.
In a news release, the hospital said the decision is due to the impact of COVID-19, adding that hospitals around the world have made similar judgments.
“Similar to other health care facilities around the world, the TCI Hospital continues to adapt to the many operational changes in our environment,” the entity said. “The hospital has modified the criteria for performing invasive surgical procedures to emergency cases, and in specific clinical circumstances, urgent surgical procedures only.”
It said this change supports the need to strictly adhere to new and evolving infection prevention and control measures in the operating room setting, saying also that staffing contraction, coupled with shortage of medical supplies factored significantly in the decision.
“Staffing constraints in recent months have also had an impact on our capacity to manage our usual volume of surgical cases. Global shortages in certain medical supplies and equipment have also created unavoidable delays in the timing of specific procedures,” the release further stated.
Inter-Health Canada said it is working on measures to return to normality as soon as possible, to satisfy the needs of the general public.
“Our team is working as hastily as possible to address these areas, and safely expand the criteria for invasive surgical procedures. Patients will be updated on any developments,” the release continued.
In the meantime, the news release affirmed that the Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital remains committed to delivering exceptional patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic and have made the safety of its patients and staff their utmost priority since the onset.
“Our team is carefully reviewing the use of our resources to ensure that we can continuously meet the evolving needs of our patients, their families, and our staff.
“While the national COVID-19 vaccination program has positively impacted the population, as evidenced by a reduction in the number of active cases, strategies are still needed to reduce the risk of exposure to patients and staff.”