Sask. gov’t pondering privatized surgeries to reduce wait list

The Government of Saskatchewan may have a plan to reduce its surgical wait list.

On Thursday, the government said it might bring back a program that privatized some surgeries to help reduce the wait list.

The previous iteration of the program was launched in 2010 and lasted for four years. Its goal was to reduce wait times for surgeries and gave people the choice of getting select procedures done by a private provider.

According to the government, more than 11,500 patients were removed from the waiting list by the program.

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said at least 26,000 surgeries had been delayed in the province due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SHA CEO Scott Livingstone wouldn’t speculate during a conference call Tuesday on how long it could take to clear the surgery backlog because it’s still growing.

“It’s not about what’s on the waiting list today, it’s what’s coming to the waiting list,” he said.

Premier Scott Moe told reporters that expanding the SHA’s surgical capacity also is being considered to handle the current backlog.

That would allow some Saskatchewan residents to get the surgeries that have been further delayed as the SHA has slowed down services while dealing with COVID-19.

— With files from The Canadian Press