The decision to postpone elective surgeries in South Australia's public hospitals was made to create additional beds before the Easter long weekend. The Department for Health and Wellbeing's chief executive, Robyn Lawrence, explained that all beds were full, with over 500 patients staying in hospitals for more than 21 days.
Lawrence apologized to patients whose surgeries were delayed, acknowledging that 33 surgeries had been put on hold. She emphasized that the decision was made based on the urgent need to create capacity for emergency patients, especially considering the limited availability of home care alternatives during the Easter period.
The opposition criticized the timing of the announcement, suggesting it was politically motivated. However, Premier Peter Malinauskas defended the decision, stating that he was first notified of the surgery ban on Tuesday. Lawrence also denied discussing the postponement with her team or the government last week, emphasizing that the decision was made solely based on the healthcare system's needs.
The South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA) reported that elective surgeries had already been canceled at the Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) in the past two weeks due to an internal emergency code. SASMOA attributed the high demand to heat-related cases and expressed hope that the situation would resolve soon.
The Ambulance Employees Association also raised concerns about the pressure on public hospitals, noting that ambulance response times for emergency cases were being significantly impacted by the high number of ramping hours lost per day. The association emphasized the need for tangible steps to free up capacity, especially during the upcoming long weekend when hospital discharges would be reduced.