Patient's Urgent Surgery Delayed, Airlifted to Hinton

0:00It's April 29, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Canada News today, your AI-powered local news. Issues with sterilizing surgical tools at Grande Prairie, regional hospital and northern Alberta have led to postponed elective surgeries. Alberta Health Services confirmed the problem stems from equipment trouble, but they insist emergency procedures are still going ahead without delays. One patient, though, tells a different story about her urgent gall bladder removal. Courtney Russell from nearby Sexmith ended up in the hospital with severe pain and was told she needed surgery right away. Instead, her operation got pushed back five times over nearly a week, even after she was prepped in fasting multiple times. She had to fight hard with staff to get airlifted 335 kilometers away to Hinton for the procedure. Russell described the agony of waiting in pain, dealing with her hypoglycemia from all the fasting and feeling like she might not make it. She broke down emotionally during one delay, surrounded by other patients in similar

1:02misery, all lacking clear answers from the team. Alberta Health Services announced the elective postponements on Monday and plans to restart them early this week, rescheduling affected cases quickly. They apologize for the hassle, but have a responded yet to questions about Russell's emergency delay. Her ordeal has shaken her faith in the system, leaving her stunned at the weight despite being so sick, and she's sounding the alarm that others could. She's the same risks moving forward.