MRI wait lists already at unacceptable levels across Alberta. Decision will impact the lives of patients who are battling life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or significant trauma.
Edmonton (9 July 2009) - Edmonton hospitals are being forced to cut back on MRI services when waiting lists are already at critical levels, the result of further funding cutbacks by Alberta Health Services, says the union that represents MRI Technologists across the province.
Covenant Health has been forced to reduce MRI services at Edmonton's Grey Nuns Hospital by 15 per cent, and the Misericordia Hospital is cancelling six weekends of MRI scans beginning Oct. 24th, the result of further funding cutbacks from Alberta Health Services.
"When Health Minister Ron Liepert suggests Albertans won't be impacted by the province's ongoing reforms, I'm here to tell you reducing the number of MRI scans will impact the lives of Albertans," stated Elisabeth Ballermann, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE).
"Mr. Liepert either doesn't have the information, or he is not being honest with Albertans.
"MRI wait lists are already at unacceptable levels across Alberta. This will directly impact the lives of patients who are battling life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or significant trauma."
HSAA has learned that Grey Nuns is reducing MRI scans from 900 to 778 per month, as a result of funding cutbacks, which will impact the number of patients waiting to have an MRI scan undertaken.
Patients waiting for MRIs are categorized as Priority 1, 2 or 3. Priority 1 patients typically should be seen within one week, Priority 2 patients within two weeks and Priority 3 patients, often suffering from shoulder and knee problems, sometime thereafter.
Edmonton's University of Alberta Hospital currently has 21 Priority 1 patients and 335 Priority 2 patients on a wait list, the latter of whom are now being booked for December appointments. Edmonton's Misericordia Hospital currently has 22 Priority 1 patients on its wait list, appointments of which are now being booked into September.
A total of 853 Priority 2 patients will have to wait until the beginning of November to have an MRI scan performed, with another 986 Priority 3 cases being scheduled in December.
Further complicating its chronic wait lists, the Misericordia is shutting down its weekend MRI services for six weeks beginning Oct. 24th, and thus cutting back on MRI Technologists hours, to meet its budgetary expectations.
"Wait lists are expanding, not declining, yet here we have the Alberta government instructing its new CEO of Alberta Health Services (Dr. Stephen Duckett) to cut services to meet an unrealistic budget target," said Ballermann.
"It's time Albertans brought significant pressure to bare on this government, before the lives of their respective family members are put in jeopardy."
Last week, Alberta Health Services announced a $1.1B budget deficit for this fiscal year, and an additional $1B deficit for 2010.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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