Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Monday a plan to tackle the province’s backlog of routine surgeries—such as cataract surgery, knee and hip replacement, and foot surgery—as well as medical scans.
The plan increases the number of surgeries and scans being done in both non-profit and for-profit independent clinics. The procedures will still be paid for by the government.
Ford and Jones responded to concerns that an increased reliance on private clinics might affect quality of care and undermine the public system in various ways.
“Ontarians will always access health care with their OHIP card, never their credit card,” Ford said at the announcement Jan. 16. “A lot of people out there, they want to have the endless debates about who should provide care. All I care about … is that you get the care quickly and safely.”…