Calls are growing in Niagara for more funding and resources to reduce MRI wait times.
NDP MPP Wayne Gates says people in the region have had to travel as far as Mississauga, or in some cases the United States, because of long wait times.
“I have heard directly from seniors who have had to book hotel rooms in the GTA so they could get an MRI appointment as soon as possible, because they couldn’t access this service close to home in Niagara,” Gates said in a statement.
According to Ontario Health’s website, “Priority 4” patients are individuals who need to be scanned within 28 days. The average wait time for this category of patients was nearly 100 days.
Last month, the province announced plans to almost double the number of publicly funded MRIs and CT scans available through private clinics.
It’s part of Ontario’s plan to expand the number of facilities offering services like cataract surgery and hip and knee replacements.
The health minister expects new licenses this fall, which could add 100,000 more scans each year.