Pregnant women on up to 10 First Nations reserves will have wait times for prenatal care guaranteed under a new pilot project intended to showcase the federal Conservative government's commitment to a key election promise.

Under the project announced Monday, women on participating reserves will be guaranteed an appointment with a health professional within two weeks of a positive pregnancy test.

After that, they will be guaranteed prenatal checkups once every four weeks, or consultation with a specialist within two weeks if the pregnancy is designated as at-risk.

If needed to back up the guarantee, health-care providers will be brought in to the reserve, or the expectant women will be able to see a health-care provider off-reserve but nearby.

In announcing the project, Health Minister Tony Clement said the Conservative government was breaking new ground.

"This means that Canada's new government is the first in this country's history to introduce a guarantee through this pilot project based on patients receiving the care they need when they need it," Clement said. "Today's announcement is part of showing that wait-time guarantees can work."

Long waits for prenatal care

Aboriginal leaders welcomed the initiative but said implementing the guarantees will be a daunting task given the remoteness of many of their communities and the chronic shortage of doctors in many parts of the country.

"Sometimes it is a long wait just to see a doctor for prenatal," Betsy Kennedy, chief of the War Lake First Nation in northern Manitoba, said in an interview. "There are always some concerns, especially for women that are in high-risk pregnancies."

It now takes as long as six weeks for an at-risk pregnant woman from War Lake to see a specialist, and that involves a four-hour train ride to Thompson, Man., and then either a flight or nine-hour drive to Winnipeg.

Other aboriginal leaders said wait-time guarantees won't address issues of poverty, a key health determinant.

"We're talking about poor housing, we're talking about poor drinking water, we're talking about poor schools, and poor access to quality health care," said Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

"These are all tremendous barriers to ensuring that mothers give birth to healthy children."

Key election promise

Implementing a wait-times strategy was a key Conservative election promise, but it's proving a tough sell. Provinces worry that providing guarantees could drive up their already high and rising health-delivery costs.

Clement used the First Nations prenatal-care announcement in Toronto to press his case for implementing wait times more broadly, saying Canadians are demanding them, and the minority government is determined to see the plan through. 

"We're showing the way," Clement said, adding provinces that don't act risk lawsuits.

The aim is to roll out the pilot project to other reserves if it proves successful.