MONTREAL A Canadian Medical Association (CMA) emergency room physician fears postponed operations in Quebec hospitals risk having a snowball effect. To regain the upper hand on waiting lists, the CMA suggests two possible solutions: invest in the health network so that it stops functioning with the bare minimum, and reorganize the list of priorities for pending surgeries. We must act now, insists Dr. Abdo Shabah, who practices at the CISSS de la Monteregie-Centre. The offloading of non-emergency hospital activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic the effect of causing the waiting list for surgeries and screening exams to reach a peak of 140,000 people according to the most recent figures from the Ministry of Health - against 114,000 before the health crisis.