‘Catastrophic’: No clear solution from provinces as surgery backlog crisis continues
Global News
As hundreds of thousands of Canadians wait for surgery, provinces across the country have yet to outline a clear plan as to how to clear the backlog.
As hundreds of thousands of Canadians wait for surgery, provinces across the country have yet to outline a clear plan on how to clear the backlog.
“We’re really concerned about it because the operations that people are waiting for are necessary operations,” David Urbach, surgery department head at Women’s College Hospital and professor of surgery at the University of Toronto, told Global News.
“They’re going to be suffering for long periods of time instead of being able to enjoy a better quality of life.”
During his 22 years as a surgeon, Urbach has never seen a medical backlog like the one Canada is currently facing.
“Right now, we have hundreds of thousands of people waiting for surgery,” he said.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, estimates the waitlist has grown to between 225,000 to 250,000 patients. Nova Scotia Health currently has about 27,000 patients waiting for surgery.
In Quebec, the most recent data shows at least 160,000 residents waiting.
At the end of March, Canada’s health minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, said the country’s universal health-care system is “at risk” and announced a $2-billion pledge to help fix the surgery backlog.
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