The Provincial Government has provided an update on patients receiving health care sooner than anticipated.

To date, 104 patients have been transported on chartered flights from Labrador and Western Newfoundland for cardiac catheterization procedures in St. John’s.

The orthopedic team travelling from St John’s to St. Anthony to Carbonear has completed 163 surgeries and 216 same-day/outpatient hip and knee replacement surgeries have been completed at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital.

The orthopedic surgery program has recently expanded to Western Newfoundland. A pilot project has been established in Gander in which patients are admitted overnight following knee replacement surgery, and then transition to an outpatient ambulatory rehabilitation clinic for ongoing care and recovery. It has completed 32 knee replacement series to date, and Central Zone estimates this will lead to over 200 additional surgeries each year when fully implemented.

With these initiatives, the health authority anticipates performing over 700 additional surgeries each year.