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The government needs to get to work to address the large backlog andl long wait times for cataract surgery

March 4 I asked, in question period, what the government is doing to address the large backlog and the long wait times for cataract surgery.  My question and the Minister’s response are below.  It is to be noted that though the Minister, in her answer, said she would have a report on the surgery backlog the next day, it did not happen. 

Cataract Surgery Backlog
Request to Address Wait-Time

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, close to 10,000 Manitobans are waiting for cataract surgery. Delays means the cataract gets denser and harder to operate on, and the affected person, usually a senior, is more likely to have a fall, which can be life-limiting, as indeed it was for my mother.

      Why is there not yet a plan or a timeline to address the current average 37-week wait at Misericordia Health Centre? Why is the centre still not operating at full capacity? Was it–why was there not even an ophthalmologist on the task force when eye surgeries are so im­por­tant and delays such a problem?

Hon. Audrey Gordon (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, after riding out the fourth wave, the second most im­por­tant issue for our gov­ern­ment is the diag­nostic and surgical recovery backlog.

      That is why our gov­ern­ment committed $50 million in the budget to tackle the backlog. That is why we esta­blished a Diag­nos­tic and Surgical Recovery Task Force, and that's why tomorrow at the update, Manitobans will hear about the great work that is being done by the task force.

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