Manitoba doctors want action to deal with surgery backlog: report
Doctors in Manitoba are asking for action to address the surgery and diagnostic test backlog created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new report done by Doctors Manitoba, released Thursday, estimates the backlog includes more than 110,000 procedures.
The report says that total includes surgeries, some of which are serious and life-saving.
Other procedures that are affected include MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, endoscopies, mammograms, and allergy tests.
The group is asking for the province to commit to a fixed date to address the backlog, create a task force to oversee the issue, and publicly report the size of the backlog monthly.
One of the largest barriers, according to about 1000 doctors surveyed, is a nursing shortage.
On March 31, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister announced the province would invest at least $50 million to reduce wait times for procedures delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of Budget 2021.
Uzoma Asagwara, NDP Critic for Healthcare, responded to the report with a written statement that said the pandemic has put Manitobans healthcare on hold.
"It's shocking and reckless that fifteen months into the pandemic the government still doesn't have a plan to address the 110,000 plus backlog for surgeries and tests, many of which are serious and life saving,” the statement reads.
“After years of PC healthcare cuts, it's clear we don't have the capacity to address this backlog. It will take years to fix the damage the PCs have caused to the health system.”
Asagwara goes onto write that the government needs act now and work with frontline healthcare staff, hire more nurses, be transparent about the data by publishing regular reports on surgery backlogs and set a date for when the backlog will be cleared.
The full report can be read below.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.