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More MRI cancellations ahead in Alberta
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by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | July 9, 2009 at 04:22 pm
415 views | 27 Recommendations | 2 comments
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The Global Economic Crisis is putting pressure on the Alberta budget. Recently it was announced that there was a $1.1 Billion deficit in Alberta Health Care Budget. There have been allegations of a hiring freeze for nurses. Alberta has also canceled sex change surgery and has revised its Senior Drug Program (claiming that 60% of Seniors will benefit).
The most recent squeeze has now been placed on MRI scans. Just yesterday the Grey Nuns hospital announced that it would cut two hours off scanning from its MRI bookings.
Today, apparently Red Deer Hospital is on the cutting block and will cut back by two scans a day.
Appointments already on the books will go ahead. It is not known how long these cutbacks will last.
What is of interest that none of these cutbacks have been announced to the public by the Health Minister but by the hospitals concerned.
CTV News has learned of more MRI cancellations elsewhere in the province. Patients in the Red Deer area could be next in line to feel the pressure of cutbacks.
The Red Deer Hospital will cut back by two MRI scans a day, according to the Alberta Health Sciences Association (HSAA).
On Wednesday, the Grey Nuns hospital was ordered to cut back MRI service effective immediately in a move to ease budget pressures.
The cutbacks will affect new cases only. Current patients who have MRIs booked will go ahead with their appointments. It is unknown how long the cutbacks will last.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke
Redwater, Alberta, Canada
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 20:28 on July 9th, 2009
It is always interesting to see where local, provincial and federal governments make cuts in health care. The decreasing of MRI's will affect the wait time for these services...when the governments have pledge to lower wait times instead of increasing them.. MRI's are a necessary and often life saving tool that Doctors can access. A friend of mine went through a bout of lung cancer. When she went in for her checkup the xrays revealed nothing this time but the doctor suggested an MRI to be sure. When the results came through, another spot was found on her lung....and she will undergo further lung surgery. They found the spot when it was small.....
In the community in which I live, the local health authority is planing / working/discussing the closure of the emergency ward for the local hospital. They , the health authority is facing millions of dollars in deficit for the coming year.
The citizens are most concerned as they are being told that if the emerg. is closed..they can travel to the next nearest hospital, a drive of 20 to 30 minutes away, without traffic tie ups of course. The problem is the wait time for service in the emergency ward. is said to be over 4 hours. If there is an influx of people from surrounding communities the wait times will probably increase. Both federal and provincial governments have pledged to lower wait times..instead of increase them.
People who don't drive, seniors who may be in the midst of medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes will face an additional time before help can be received. Ambulances will have to drive further with patients.
Growth in our local community will also be affected. People look to see what hospital services are available as well as schools etc. Will they continue to come , to buy homes, and enrich our community???
Let us hope and encourage our politicians to take a close look at the toll that their cost cutting measures will have upon their constituents, to make decisions that will have the least impact upon the elderly and vulnerable.
It is the responsibility of all to let our politicians know of our concerns, and needs.
Thank you for bringing this article to Now public, albertacowpoke!!!
at 02:16 on July 10th, 2009
You.re very welcome marianmo:) Cutbacks are a definite problem.