'Utilizing the tools available': Province's plan is to reduce surgical backlog by 240 patients
The province says they have a plan to reduce Saskatchewan’s surgery waitlist by 240 people.
Announced as part of the 2023 budget, the Ministry of Health will spend upwards of $6 million to send patients to private surgical clinics in Calgary for knee and hip replacements.
“It’s something we feel we need to do,” said Minister of Health Paul Merriman on Thursday.
“People have been on the surgery list for a long time. This is an option for them.”
Merriman said the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) would reach out to individuals awaiting those surgeries to give them the option to travel to Alberta.
However, anyone who opts into the process will have to pay for their own travel and accommodations.
“People are going to be able to essentially jump the queue,” said NDP health critic Vicki Mowat.
Mowat argued the decision would create a two-class system for those awaiting a surgery. Those who can pay to travel and those who cannot.
“It’s [the government’s] responsibility to perform these surgeries and to provide them publically,” she said. “People have to pay out of pocket. A basic tenant of Medicare is people who require that surgery should have the availability of it.”
In the province’s recent budget, the government outlined they want to complete an additional 6,000 surgeries this year. They were willing to use private clinics if needed to do so.
Merriman said the province’s surgery procedures were up 11 per cent in the past six months from where they were in 2019 during the same timeframe.
While the plan is to send people out of province for now, he added the work here at home won’t stop.
“We’re increasing capacity in Saskatchewan,” said Merriman. “We are using this temporary option to get to those specific surgeries. We have all of these tools available to us, so we’re utilizing them.”
“This is something [the government] saw coming,” said Mowat. “They should have taken the time to develop a strategy.”
The government said any necessary follow-up appointments will be covered by the province.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.