Whitehorse General Hospital is experiencing a slowdown in surgical services at the moment, just as a veteran physician has suggested.
In a letter to The Yukon Star to appear in Friday’s print edition, Dr. David Storey describes a very unflattering portrayal of conditions at the hospital negatively affecting patients, and within the Yukon medical system in general.
In response, a spokeswoman for the Yukon Hospital Corp. told the Star Wednesday “historically, planned surgical slowdowns happen throughout the year such as at Christmas, spring break, and summer. This is a reduction in planned surgeries.
“We still provide urgent, visiting specialists and some planned surgeries during these times.
“We are on target to hit 4,400 surgeries this year, which is more than we have ever done,” she added.
Dr. Alex Kmet, the president of the Yukon Medical Association (YMA), declined to comment on the numerous problems Storey’s letter outlines.
“The YMA can’t speak on behalf of operations at Whitehorse General Hospital and would defer queries regarding current operational status and wait times to Yukon Hospitals,” Kmet advised the Star.