66,000 Australians on Surgery Waiting List In Victoria, As Hospital Capacity Stretched During Pandemic

A general view of the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on July 16, 2020. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Urgent surgeries are being postponed because of major hospital bed shortages in the Australian state of Victoria, according to medical experts, who say patients will have to make way for COVID-19 cases.

Last week, Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley announced that non-urgent surgeries would be postponed due to the COVID-19 caseload, meaning only Category 1 surgeries (those that must be treated within 30 days) or Category 2A surgeries (90 days) would be performed.