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HOSPITAL MRI WAIT TIMES DISGRACEFUL |
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Monday, 23 February 2009 19:00 |
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Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I am rising today in absolute disappointment about the disgrace called the MRI wait times in the city of Ottawa at The Ottawa Hospital. I want to know from the Premier and the health minister: Why does The Ottawa Hospital have the longest wait list for MRIs in this province? Ninety per cent of the people on that wait list are waiting for 360 days. That is almost a year. It is 12 times more than the provincial target, which is only 28 days. It is a disgrace. Dr. Cushman, the chair of our local LHIN, told the Ottawa Sun and other media outlets that we need more MRIs in the city of Ottawa and we need to streamline hospital waiting lists. I want to know again: What is the Minister of Health going to do about this province-wide, nationwide embarrassment and how is the minister going to ensure that those suffering are not going to have to wait one full year for an MRI because of this government’s failure? Yesterday the MPP from Ottawa Centre brought up concerns about ER wait times, and he said: “My constituents are no doubt concerned.” I can tell you something: in response to that question, the Minister of Health did not respond to what I would call a near-crisis level on waiting for an MRI. I’m not the only person in this chamber who has seen a loved one suffer from a terminal illness. Sometimes people do not have 360 days to wait for an MRI.
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