- Compared to the planning, there is a lot of backlog, certainly, 30 operations up to and including week 21. But what you have to remember is that it is both that we could not and that patients did not want to come due to corona, the percentage I can not comment on, states Bengt Friedrich Friedrich, acting head of operations, urology, gynecology and surgery in Umeå,

How can the waiting times be fixed?

- I do not know. We have this in common with the whole of Sweden, specifically in Västerbotten, it looks good when it comes to cancer surgery. When it comes to prostate cancer, we are in a pretty good position. Those with high-risk cancer are often operated on within a month, but there is also a battle on the knife to get them in, says Friedrich and continues.

- We would need to invest heavily, but have no human resources. Within the framework of the resources we have, we really try. We have no quick fix, and I do not think anyone else has either.

Missing doctor

The waiting times underline a problem that the urologist shares with other areas in Swedish healthcare.

- We have our staff and it is scarce. Could we hire? Yes, maybe, but then we have a budget to stick to, secondly, there are no anesthetists, anesthesia nurses and surgical nurses.

Cancer is a priority

At the same time, Bengt Friedrich points out that operations against prostate enlargement have been declining sharply since the 1990s. Today, there are drugs that can alleviate the problems for many.

- We must remember that we are doing more cancer operations now. The focus has been shifted towards cancer, those who do not have had to stand back and wait.