Budget cuts have made fewer surgeries available to British Columbians, but the province is considering welcoming patients from Saskatchewan into B.C. operating rooms.
“It's kind of a wacky discussion for these guys to be having,” said New Democratic Party health critic Adrian Dix.
A Canadian Press story last week quoted Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall saying his province might send patients to B.C. for things like orthopedic surgery. “He said Premier Gordon Campbell has indicated that B.C. has capacity and fairly short wait times in that area,” the story said.
“If people have been waiting for 15 months, do they care if [their surgery] happens in Saskatoon, Regina or Surrey? I'm not sure they do,” the story quoted Wall saying.
"Discussions have occurred between our government and the government of Saskatchewan regarding orthopaedic surgical patients being flown to B.C. to receive surgical services," B.C. health minister Kevin Falcon said a written statement e-mailed to the Tyee by a ministry spokesperson.
"Those discussions continue," he said. "By charging rates to other jurisdictions that are higher than the cost of delivering that service, the additional funds can be reinvested in our health system to provide additional services for British Columbians."
Falcon said the wait time in B.C. for hip and knee replacements has declined 50 percent since 2001.
Dix said the discussions are happening while health authorities in B.C. have announced in the past couple months they are cutting 10,000 surgeries before the end of the fiscal year to save money. “[Campbell's] cutting so many surgeries there's room for people from Saskatchewan to get into our hospitals,” he said. “That's interesting public policy.”
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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LeftSeater
2 years ago
Don't know...
... what all the fuss is about...
Doesn’t anyone recognize a superb “quid pro quo” arrangement by the masters in Victoria?
B C hospitals get the farmers with the shot knees and hips; Mosaic Stadium/Taylor Field in Regina gets the B C Place old roof……
freebear
2 years ago
WTF!
I guess universal healthcare is already privatized!
So for one year BC residents do not get sick or hurt; so we can free up our hospitals to gouge other provinces!
What the f...?
sailorkris
2 years ago
Universal Health Care?
It amazes me that some people still believe we have universal health care. What universal health care? Not for at least 8 years anyway. Obviously health care is either: not a priority for most British Columbians; or they are completely blind to the Campbell governments actions.
crankypants
2 years ago
Unbelievable
Let's see, Fraser Health is closing 4 operating rooms in Surrey and Port Moody and about 200 acute care beds to save money. The other health authorities are slashing services wherever possible. Non-emergency services are being postponed, and the BC Liberals are soliciting people from out of province to come here for their surgeries. This is ludicrous and just shows how little regard Campbell and Co. have for the tax-paying citizens of this province.
It seems that everytime one thinks this government can't get any worse, they find a way to take their incompetency to a new level. The smell emanating from the BC Liberal caucus is so bad that it would take a truckload of air freshener to eradicate it.
Dan the socialist
2 years ago
What about people in BC that
What about people in BC that need knee and hip replacements? My Grandma finally had hers done last January, but she was tired of waiting and waiting with all the cancellations (doctor, hospital etc) and paid out of her money to get it done and that was in Kamloops.
Frank
2 years ago
Running back to Saskatoon
I guess people in BC will have to go to Saskatchewan for their surgeries eh?
freebear
2 years ago
Funny there is even health care references in the Song!
I been hangin' around hospitals
I been learnin' 'bout dyin'
I been talkin' to heart doctors
I been workin' on disease
Moose Jaw saw a few, Moosomin too
Runnin' back to Saskatoon
Red Deer, Terrace and a Medicine Hat
Sing another prairie tune
Sing another prairie tune.
The Guess Who were prophetic!
freebear
2 years ago
Hip and knee replacements...
Soon we will be just talking heads in a jar a la Futurama!
Frank
2 years ago
freebear
Nice!
Troy Pratt
2 years ago
good medicne??
According to minister Falcon selling off our surgery spaces will enhance health care services to BC residence. He cannot honestly believe his own BS too. How arrogant of him to treat us like we have hardly the lowly intelligence of a BC Liberal back bencher. What a joke minister Falcon and the BC Liberals really are. A blight on the BC landscape.