The Medical Freedom Channel

“The amount of time Canadians have to wait for surgical and other therapeutic treatment increased slightly in 2006 and continued to hover near the 18 week mark first reached in 2003, according to The Fraser Institute’s 16th annual survey, Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada, released today. The total waiting time for patients between referral from a general practitioner and treatment, averaged across all 12 specialties and 10 provinces surveyed, increased to 17.8 weeks this year from 17.7 weeks observed in 2005. … ‘These waiting times are the second-longest Canadians have ever experienced, despite record levels of health spending and numerous commitments made by provincial and federal governments,’ said Nadeem Esmail, Director of Health System Performance at The Fraser Institute and co-author of the survey.” (10/24/06)