Premier Ford suggests doctors work weekends to clear surgery backlog

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he’d like to see the province’s doctors begin working on weekends to clear a massive backlog of surgeries postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ford estimates about 180,000 procedures were postponed after lockdown measures went into effect in March.

But the Ontario Medical Association says doctors are often working weekends already.

It says any effort to tackle the backlog will have to take the whole health-care system into account.

Modelling research published this month in the Canadian Medical Association Journal estimated the province’s surgery backlog would take at least a 18 months to clear.

Ford says the government has funding available to address the issue, but did not disclose how much money has been set aside.