Photo: Contributed

A new hip and knee replacement program announced by the B.C. government aims to give people in the Fraser Health area better access to those surgeries.

"We are establishing five hip and knee replacement programs across B.C., of which the Burnaby Fraser Health program is one," said Health Minister Adrian Dix. "We are making system improvements such as adding dedicated operating time for hip and knee surgeries."

Dix said there will be over 19,000 such surgeries performed in B.C. in 2018, which is a 23 per cent increase over last year.

Similar programs have been announced at Vancouver General Hospital, in Prince George and on Vancouver Island. 

Michael Marchbank, Fraser Health president and CEO, said in a press release that he recognizes patients need to feel supported both before and after surgery. 

"We have heard from patients that the new arthroplasty centre at Burnaby Hospital has helped them to not only better prepare for their hip or knee surgeries, but also to feel more informed about their options for rehabilitation following their procedures, which is why we look forward to expanding this model to other hospitals in our region," he said.

The new program will hopefully reduce wait times and improve continuity of care, along with increasing the number of surgeries. 

-With files from CTV Vancouver