Home
World
Canada
- BC
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Thunder Bay
- Sudbury
- Windsor
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- Montreal
- NB
- PEI
- NS
- NL
- North
Politics
Health
Arts & Entertainment
- Music
- Film
- Television
- Books
- Media
- Art & Design
- Theatre
Technology & Science
Money
Consumer Life
Diversions
Weather
Your Voice

New licensing option: POST all or part of this article on a web site, intranet or blog.

B.C. plans to import surgery patients

Surgery offered to Saskatchewan patients ... for a price

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | 8:28 PM PT

CBC News

B.C.'s expertise in knee and hip surgery has sparked interest from other provinces, at a politically sensitive time for the provincial government. (CBC)

The B.C. government is being accused of cutting surgeries while offering hip and knee operations to patients from Saskatchewan and other provinces.

B.C. NDP health critic Adrian Dix says thousands of elective surgeries have been cancelled because of spending restraints by the provincial government, and yet there are surgical openings for non-B.C. patients.

He accused the governing Liberals during question period of auctioning off surgery spots while B.C. patients languish on waiting lists.

"Why doesn't [the health minister] explain to British Columbians waiting for surgery across the province why he's selling off their care to the highest bidder?" Dix asked.

"What's the message to them? Move to Regina? Move to Moose Jaw?" asked NDP MLA John Horgan

Health Minister Kevin Falcon confirmed B.C. is negotiating to bring 400 patients to the province for surgery over the next two years. But Falcon scoffed at the accusation the Saskatchewan patients will displace British Columbians.

"If we do this properly, we would have the ability to charge a premium," Falcon said.

"So we cover not only our costs, but use the additional dollars to allow British Columbians to get through the system quicker, faster and better."

New licensing option: POST all or part of this article on a web site, intranet or blog.

Video

Internal Links

Surgical wait times drop in B.C, Ont.
Sask. pledges shorter wait times, driver texting ban
B.C. health cuts no harm to services: minister

External Links

WEBSITE: B.C. Ministry of Health - surgical wait times

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)

British Columbia Headlines

Man in Motion lights up crowd in Richmond, B.C.: Wheelchair marathoner Rick Hansen — known as the Man in Motion from his worldwide fundraising tour — lit the Olympic cauldron in Richmond, B.C., in front of a crowd of thousands Tuesday night.
Explosive chemicals not stolen after all: RCMP: Potentially explosive ammonium nitrate fertilizer that appeared to disappear on the eve of the Vancouver Olympics was not stolen, the RCMP say.
Ludwig search warrant cites phone records, letter to EnCana: CBC has obtained a copy of the search warrant executed last month on Wiebo Ludwig's farm near Hythe, Alta., in connection with the investigation into the bombing of natural gas pipeline sites in B.C.
Vancouver tap water vies with Olympic sponsor: Vancouver has started a campaign to encourage Olympic tourists to drink the region's tap water instead of buying bottled water, creating a potential conflict with one of the Games' biggest sponsors.
Olympic spirit will launch B.C. reforms: throne speech: The B.C. government says it will use the province's post-Olympics momentum to drive changes that include offering tax breaks to families with children, reforming education and lobbying Ottawa to amend "Byzantine bureaucratic practices."

Canada Headlines

Health costs push Alberta budget deficit to $4.75B: Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion budget deficit and planning cuts in many departments while increasing health-care spending.
Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review: The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario is among the cases being re-examined after murder charges were laid against Col. Russell Williams.
Neighbours stunned by arrest of Col. Williams: Ottawa resident Michael Gennis was stunned when he found out his new neighbour, Col. Russell Williams, had been charged with killing two women in eastern Ontario.
Olympic spirit will launch B.C. reforms: throne speech: The B.C. government says it will use the province's post-Olympics momentum to drive changes that include offering tax breaks to families with children, reforming education and lobbying Ottawa to amend "Byzantine bureaucratic practices."
Vancouver tap water vies with Olympic sponsor: Vancouver has started a campaign to encourage Olympic tourists to drink the region's tap water instead of buying bottled water, creating a potential conflict with one of the Games' biggest sponsors.

People who read this also read …

Top CBCNews.ca Headlines

Headlines

Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review: The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario is among the cases being re-examined after murder charges were laid against Col. Russell Williams.
Health costs push Alberta budget deficit to $4.75B: Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion budget deficit and planning cuts in many departments while increasing health-care spending.
Ottawa to appeal injection site ruling: The federal government is asking the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal a lower court ruling that sanctioned Vancouver's supervised drug injection site.
Haitian man pulled from rubble: A 28-year-old man has been pulled from rubble in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, claiming to have been trapped there since the massive earthquake on Jan. 12.
Tories need plan for isotope shortage: Ignatieff: Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff accused the Conservative government of having no plan of action to deal with a medical isotope shortage expected to worsen later this month.