Ford government releases 3-step plan to invest in private care to reduce surgical backlog
Ontario: The Ontario government has released a three-step plan to make investments in private care to reduce the surgical backlog. For this work, the help of some community surgical and diagnostic centers will be taken. These private centres will carry out additional surgeries and other medical procedures.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said it would help reduce waiting times and eliminate surgical backlogs. She said that all these procedures for patients will come under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
In the first phase, investment will be made under a new partnership with community surgical and diagnostic centres to reduce the waiting list for cataract operations. Under this, 14000 more operations can be done every year.
These centres will have both profit-making and non-profit centres. The government will also invest $18 million in existing centres for MRI and CT scans, ophthalmic surgeries, minor gynecological surgeries and plastic surgeries.
In the second phase, low-hasty, low-risk operations etc. will be carried out. Less details have been provided by the government on this. The province is going to introduce a new bill next month. If the bill is passed, private clinics will be allowed to perform more MRI and CT scans.
In the last phase, private clinics will be allowed to operate on the hip and knee till 2024. The government, meanwhile, made it clear that the changes would not be temporary but permanent.
