Surgery backlog task force en route: health minister

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This article was published 23/11/2021 (1128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A long-awaited committee to address Manitoba’s massive backlog of surgeries and diagnostics will be unveiled next week, Health Minister Audrey Gordon says.

On Wednesday, the minister said the province is committed to fulfilling most of what Doctors Manitoba have been calling for.

In June, the organization representing more than 4,000 physicians and medical students estimated Manitoba has a backlog of 110,000 procedures, and made three recommendations for addressing the issue. Doctors Manitoba asked for a commitment from the province to fully address the COVID-19 pandemic-heightened backlog by a fixed date.

Since then, the estimated backlog has grown to more than 130,000 surgeries and tests.

On Wednesday, Gordon wouldn’t commit to a fixed date for ending the backlog, but said members of a surgery and diagnostic recovery task force to lead the immediate and ongoing effort to address the issue have been chosen.

The health minister said she’s spoken with the group chairperson several times and the province will fulfill Doctors Manitoba’s call for public reporting on the size of the backlog and what actions are taken to reduce it.

“Our commitment is to fulfill the call from Doctors Manitoba to name the task force, to set a timeline for the task force’s work, and do public reporting,” Gordon told reporters after question period in the legislature.

She didn’t specify what day next week the task force would be unveiled, but said the announcement would include an update on the latest request for supply arrangements with surgical and diagnostic service providers.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca