The Saskatchewan NDP is condemning the lack of transparency regarding a contract with a Sask Party donor hired to perform surgeries in Calgary, suggesting the possibility of inflated costs.Clearpoint Health Network donated over $14,000 to the Sask. Party through subsidiary Surgical Centres Inc. The company holds two separate sole-source contracts: one to perform knee and hip procedures and the other to perform mammograms--both in Calgary.In response to an NDP information request, the Scott Moe government redacted the sections of the contracts that lists the cost for each procedure, the cost of additional services — like ultrasounds, radiologist image review or the transfer of results to Saskatchewan — and the cost of other extra fees for things like “administration” and possible cancellations. Health Critic Vicki Mowat said those details deserve inclusion.“It’s a bit of a stretch for the minister to say this information is commercially sensitive when we’re talking about special sole-source deals without any other competitors,” said Mowat.“I think the fact these numbers are redacted tells us everything you need to know about the Sask. Party. The old boys club at the Legislature isn’t working for the people of Saskatchewan.” Last year, only 90 knee and hip procedures were performed in Alberta under this private surgical scheme, although the health minister had claimed that the $6 million sole-source contract would cover 250 procedures.The latest national data shows that Saskatchewan still has the longest average wait times in Canada for knee and hip replacements. Although the Moe government previously stated that Surgical Solutions is being paid approximately $2,000 per patient, private clinics in Ontario and British Columbia charge between $140 and $430 for mammograms according to the Canadian Breast Cancer Network.A government news release on Wednesday boasted a record-breaking 95,700 surgeries performed between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. Minister of Rural and Remote Health Tim McLeod pointed to this progress to Mowat in the legislature."The member opposite talks about wait-lists. Almost 6,000 more surgeries were performed last year than the year before that. The wait-list is trending down with 4,600 people removed from that wait-list," McLeod said.Mowat told reporters that Saskatchewan taxpayers deserved better.“It’s incredibly concerning to see that the government won’t be transparent with this information, and it raises questions about what they’re hiding,” Mowat said.“Mammograms and biopsies are costing ten times the amount it would normally cost in the public system in Saskatchewan. It’s incredibly concerning because we need to ensure we’re getting the best value for money. There’s only one taxpayer and people deserve to know where the taxpayer dollars or being spent.”NDP Leader Carla Beck said the province was no longer the health care leader it once was.“Saskatchewan people rightly expect that their tax dollars support Saskatchewan health workers and Saskatchewan hospitals, not Sask. Party donors in Calgary," she said.
