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Health authorities in Cairns are working on clearing a backlog of patients from the elective surgery list after re-introducing non-urgent surgeries this week.
The operations were put on hold last month as a new wave of COVID-19 cases placed increased pressure on the hospital system.
Acting CEO of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Dr Jeremy Wellwood, said it appears the COVID peak has passed.
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The service is still caring for 60 COVID patients, 33 of whom are being monitored virtually.
“We still have 27 COVID patients in hospital and that’s still significant, that’s almost the equivalent of a whole ward full of covid patients,” he said.
“But it has calmed down enough for us to look at reintroducing non-urgent surgeries that we had a two week pause on.
“If you’re one of the people who had their surgery postponed our team will be in touch with you so that we can make sure that we make those arrangements.”
Non urgent surgeries include procedures such as cataract replacements, hernia operations and knee replacements.
Urgent surgeries such as cancer operations and emergency surgery has not been impacted.
Dr Wellwood said the number of health staff absent through illness is also falling but remains significant.
“The staff have done an amazing job and they are tired so we will take a cautious approach to reintroduce that non-urgent surgery,” he said.
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"People are saying we may get further waves as the year goes on so I guess we need to see how that goes.”
For the CHHHS region the booster shot rate is around 63 per cent, lower than the national average of 70 per cent.
The Service has recorded almost 67,000 cases since the pandemic began and 85 deaths.
Main points
- Local health experts believe the Cairns region has passed the peak of its third COVID wave
- Non-urgent surgeries have resumed
- 27 COVID patients are being treated in hospital
