About 2.9 million Canadians are waiting for surgery, a diagnostic scan, or an appointment with a specialist, according to data from Freedom of Information requests obtained by SecondStreet.org. .“The stories behind many of those numbers are pretty atrocious,” said SecondStreet President Colin Craig in a Wednesday press release. .“Sadly, some patients are even dying while waiting to receive a diagnostic scan or meet with a specialist, never mind getting to the point where they’ve been put on a surgical wait list.” .Since some provinces and territories did not provide complete data, SecondStreet estimates the true total is at least 3.7 million people. .The data said 663,856 people are waiting for surgeries in Canada. It said the province with the most people on surgical wait lists was Ontario at 229,423. .The province coming in second place for longest surgical wait lists was Quebec (160,684). This was followed by British Columbia (88,804), Alberta (75,274), and Saskatchewan (35,969). .The data went on to say 828,598 people are waiting to see a specialist. It added the province with the most people on specialist wait lists was Quebec at 798,658. .The province coming in second place was Nova Scotia (28,171). Behind Nova Scotia were Nunavut (3,771), Yukon (2,064), and the Northwest Territories (934). .About 1.4 million people have to be seen for diagnostics in Canada. Quebec had the most people needing diagnostics at 707,454. .Subsequent to Quebec was Ontario (460,153). This was followed by Alberta (108,782), Nova Scotia (82,834), and Newfoundland and Labrador (51,646). .These findings are significant because Fraser Institute data states wait times have never been longer. SecondStreet applauded Nova Scotia, Quebec, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut for providing complete data and hopes other provinces follow suit. .Craig said healthcare spending ballooned over the last few decades, but wait lists are long. .“We clearly need health reform,” said Craig. .Consultant Specialists of BC wrote an open letter to British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix in September expressing concerns about one million patients waiting for specialty care. .READ MORE: BC healthcare specialists demand meeting with health minister over wait times.“We request a meeting with you urgently, and that's not a word we use lightly,” said Consultant Specialists of BC. .The group said healthcare specialists were “hampered by years of increasing challenges compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.” It said patients are becoming sicker and dying while on wait lists.
