BAMC postpones elective surgeries, 1,116 COVID-19 patients in San Antonio hospitals

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) –  Brooke Army Medical Center is postponing elective surgeries and procedures to make room for COVID-19 patients.

The San Antonio Military Health System says the decision to temporarily delay some elective surgical cases is “to ensure our healthcare professionals are poised to support an increased need for acute inpatient care.”

BAMC patients will be called if their surgery requires rescheduling.  For questions about an upcoming elective procedure, patients are encouraged to reach out to their surgical team.

The move comes as the number of coronavirus patients in San Antonio hospitals rose to 1,116 Tuesday.   Of those, 314 were in ICU and 170 were using ventilators to breathe.

Bexar County saw an additional 2,000 COVID-19 cases over the past two days, Monday and Tuesday.  Eleven more deaths brought that total to 1, 521 since the pandemic began.