Manitoba couple calling on others to get vaccinated to help with backlog in surgeries

Couple waiting for life-changing procedure A couple waiting on a life-changing medical procedure are calling on Manitobans to get vaccinated. CTV's Michael D'Alimonte reports.

WINNIPEG — Tom Gross and Crystal Hanson are counting down the days until next January, the earliest Gross can hope to get an important medical procedure.

Tom Gross lives with a degenerative kidney disease, currently being treated with dialysis.

“It’s not a permanent solution to living, a transplant is,” said Gross, who has a donor, his brother, at the ready.

Unfortunately, due to a backlog in medical procedures and surgeries caused by the strain placed on the province’s health-care system due to COVID-19, the earliest Gross can hope to get a new kidney is next January.

Crystal Hanson, Gross’s wife, explained the situation on a public social media post, writing that the long wait for a transplant procedure is largely due to the current strain on the health-care system caused by COVID-19, as she was told by doctors overseeing Gross’s healthcare.

Hanson wrote the post in hopes that it would encourage Manitobans to get vaccinated.

“If it could do anything to encourage even one person to be vaccinated we really felt that would be worth it to us,” said Hanson.

Hanson is also concerned what may happen to Gross’s surgery date if vaccination rates in Manitoba plateau.

“We think a lot about if there is another wave and if there are further delays,” said Hanson, “This has a fairly significant impact on our lifestyle.”

Medical professionals being moved around the health-care system to help address COVID-19 is a prominent factor in the current backlog of surgeries facing the province, according to Doctors Manitoba.

A recent report published by the organization, states there is a backlog of over 110,000 procedures and surgeries, many of them, like Gross’s, necessary for a patient’s health.

“This isn’t just elective cases,” said Dr. Kristjan Thompson, Doctors Manitoba’s president, “These are patients who are suffering, who are in pain, whose life depends on these definitive procedures and surgeries.”

Doctors Manitoba is calling on the province to create a task force to specifically address this issue, along with more transparency on surgery backlog numbers.

Thompson said the organization discussed possible solutions to the problem with Manitoba Health Minister Heather Stefanson about a week ago.

Meanwhile, Gross is hoping the situation improves not just for himself, but anyone waiting on an important procedure.

“There are many people other than myself that are waiting and in bigger need,” said Gross.

“If we can relieve some of the pressure on hospitals,” he said, “I think those people can be taken care of.”