REGINA — Saskatchewan says it plans to reduce its backlog of surgeries by privatizing certain procedures.
Health Minister Paul Merriman says the goal is to eliminate the backlog by achieving a three-month wait time by 2030.
Merriman says there are 35,000 people currently waiting for surgery in Saskatchewan, as COVID-19 has been overwhelming the health-care system, and it's a big hill to climb.
The government says it is still determining which procedures will be privatized.
Those surgeries will be publicly funded, but at this time it's unknown what the cost will be.
Merriman says once the backlog is reduced, the government will assess if it will continue with the plan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2021.
The Canadian Press
