Eastern Health facilities in the metro region have received dozens of patients from the central region, forcing the rescheduling of some non-urgent surgeries originally scheduled for Monday and today.

The patients were transferred to metro and western regions on the weekend to escape deteriorating air quality caused by the fires in central Newfoundland.

Day surgeries, outpatients procedures and pediatric surgeries were not affected. All patients whose surgeries on August 8 and August 9 are being rescheduled have been notified by phone.

Fifty-four non-urgent surgeries scheduled for Monday at the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital in Clarenville, Carbonear General, the Health Sciences, Janeway and St. Clare’s Hospital have been rescheduled, as have 36 surgeries scheduled for today.

As of yesterday, Eastern Health facilities in the metro region received some 40 Central Health patients.