'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
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.