Contracting major Sask. Party donor has worsened waitlists

Saskatchewan has the worst waits in Canada for key procedures

REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Rural and Remote Health Critic Matt Love grilled the Moe government on their decision to award major donor Clearpoint/Surgical Centres Inc. with a sole-source contract for mammograms. The latest data coming out of the province’s Surgical Initiative shows that the combined waitlist for knee and hip replacements has worsened since these procedures were outsourced to Clearpoint/Surgical Centres Inc.

“We have the longest waits for key procedures in Canada and people may literally die waiting if the backlog doesn’t improve,” said Love. “I think it’s telling that the only people who think the health system is on track are Moe and his Ministers.”

According to CIHI, Saskatchewan has the worst wait times for knee and hip replacement procedures in Canada. In January, Clearpoint/Surgical Centres Inc. was contracted to perform knee and hip procedures starting in February in Calgary in order to cut down on the backlog.

The province’s most recent Surgical Initiative report shows that the waitlist for knee replacements has barely budged, moving from 4,737 in March to 4,734 in June. The waitlist for hip replacements has actually worsened since funding and resources were directed to Clearpoint/Surgical Centres Inc., rising from 2,020 people in March to 2,064 in June.

Clearpoint/Surgical Centres Inc. has to date donated $19,300 to the Sask. Party. Last week the organization was awarded a sole-source contract to perform mammograms, each for $2,000. Other private providers in British Columbia and Ontario offer mammograms ranging in price from $130 to $430.

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