Photo: Contributed

The Interior Health Authority is trying to determine how to best allocate funds announced by the province this week to speed up knee and hip replacement surgeries.

Kelowna residents are waiting six months to more than a year for knee replacements and five to 11 months for hip surgery. IH figures show local cases are acted on faster, or about the same, as the provincial average.

Knee replacements:

•     KGH: 50 per cent of cases are completed within 26.2 weeks and 90 per cent in 53.8 weeks.
•     IH: 50 per cent in 27.1 weeks and 90 per cent in 54.6 weeks
•     BC: 50 per cent in 25 weeks and 90 per cent in 55 weeks

Hip replacements:

•     KGH: 50 per cent done in 22 weeks and 90 per cent done in 42.2 weeks
•     IH: 50 per cent done in 24.9 weeks and 90 per cent done in 51 weeks
•     BC: 50 per cent done in 21 weeks and 90 per cent done in 52 weeks

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the Province is also implementing operating room efficiencies, investing more money to keep up with growing demand for all surgeries and taking steps to ensure adequate numbers of health professionals are in place to deliver needed services.

The province is committing $75 million a year toward the strategy, starting this fiscal year and increasing to $100 million in 2019-20. A strategy is being rolled out in all five B.C. health regions.