Did you leave Canada for a surgery or medical procedure? We want to hear from you – CTV
July 20, 2023
Long wait times have become the status quo in Canada’s health-care system, forcing some Canadians to travel outside of the country for faster medical surgeries and procedures.
Last year’s wait times for medically necessary surgeries and procedures were the longest ever recorded by the right-wing think tank Fraser Institute, which published a report suggesting a 195 per cent increase from 1993.
Twenty years ago, the institute said, the average wait time for a surgery or medical procedure was 9.3 weeks. Now, Canadians have to wait a median of 27.4 weeks between the referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment, according to the report.
While each specialty is different, the numbers are still shocking. The report states patients have to wait around 58.9 weeks for a GP referral and neurosurgical procedures. Some waits are shorter, such as those faced by people waiting for radiation treatment who typically are treated after 3.9 weeks.
