Defending universal medicare, NDP calls on Sask. Party to end costly private MRI experiment

Health Ministry officials have refused to clarify whether or not Saskatchewan’s private MRI experiment will continue past April, in violation of the Canada Health Act’s restrictions around for-profit healthcare. In response, NDP Leader Ryan Meili is standing in defense of universal medicare by calling on the Minister of Health to commit that Saskatchewan will abide by the Canada Health Act.

“The Sask. Party’s failed experiment with American-style, two-tier healthcare has done nothing but let people down,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “The province has had two years to come into compliance with the Canada Health Act’s protections for our universal healthcare system, but last week the Health Minister couldn’t say whether or not he would. More people are waiting longer for MRIs so this government can let their wealthy friends jump the queue, and now they’re putting federal health transfers at risk.”

Between August 2018 and June 2019, the number of people waiting for an MRI in Saskatchewan jumped from 6,071 to 10,018 – a 65 per cent increase. Additionally, only 27 percent of Saskatchewan people received their scans within the Ministry’s targeted time frame. As the numbers continued to rise, the Sask. Party stopped updating the figures, with the last report coming in June 2019.

The province is risking millions of dollars in federal health transfers by continuing to let private clinics bill patients directly beyond April 2020. Similar experiments with American-style healthcare in British Columbia cost that province $32 million in federal health transfers in 2018-2019.

Other provinces have developed strategies to reduce wait times that didn’t include letting the wealthy pay to jump the queue. In 2018, in efforts to address growing wait times, the British Columbia government introduced the B.C. Surgical and Diagnostic Strategy and began running 10 of the province’s 33 MRI machines 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also bought two privately owned MRI clinics. In the first year, efforts to fully utilize existing provincial MRI infrastructure had a significant impact on wait times.

“The Sask. Party’s failed experiment of queue jumping is obviously not the answer for getting people’s MRIs delivered in a timely manner,” said NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat. “Meanwhile more and more people are waiting longer as the Sask. Party waffles on a decision to comply with the federal MRI rules. This poor leadership is failing Saskatchewan people.”

Latest posts

SASKATCHEWAN LOST 2,900 FULL TIME JOBS IN JULY, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT CLIMBS TO 12.4%

Yorkton, Swift Current, Moose Jaw And Prince Albert All Saw Job Losses
REGINA – Saskatchewan saw significant job losses in the month of July according to data released by Stats Canada today, impacting communities across the province, while youth unemployment climbed to over 12 per cent.

SASKPOWER ADMITS THE $46-BILLION COAL CATASTROPHE IS FOR BENEFIT OF AI DATA CENTRES, NOT PEOPLE OF SASKATCHEWAN

New Submission To The Rate Review Panel Reveals Sask. Party’s Costly Coal Extension Was Driven By Data Centre Power Demands
SASKATOON – Jeremy Harrison and Scott Moe have been caught lying repeatedly to the people of Saskatchewan, as newly released documents from SaskPower shows that the real reason for their $46-billion coal catastrophe is to support contentious data centres, namely one near Regina.

ALZHEIMERS PATIENTS FORCED TO ENDURE TRAUMATIC HOSPITAL HALLWAY STAY IN SASKATOON

Saskatoon Hospitals Continue To See Capacity Issues, Forcing Patients To Be Treated In Hallways
SASKATOON – Carla Beck was joined by the son of an elderly patient who is sounding the alarm about the state of our hospitals after a traumatic 5-day hallway stint at St. Paul’s hospital in Saskatoon.

SASK. PARTY MISMANAGEMENT OF SGI WILL RESULT IN HIGHER AND LARGER RATE INCREASES

Harrison Has Refused to Rule Out Hiking Rates In 2027

REGINA - Saskatchewan's Rate Review Panel has revealed that Scott Moe’s incompetent Minister Jeremy Harrison has almost driven another Saskatchewan Crown corporation into insolvency — and has spoken against his attempts to use Saskatchewan drivers to bail out his mismanagement.

NDP Caucus Office