Manitoba seeing increase in wait times for CT scans

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Peggy

Manitobans are experiencing longer wait times for diagnostic services compared to last year.

According to provincial data, the median wait time for a CT scan increased to 30 weeks at Health Sciences Centre in August. This is more than four times the seven-week wait that was seen during the same time period in 2023.

At Concordia Hospital, wait times for a CT scan jumped from six weeks in 2023 to 25 weeks in 2024.

The trend is also being seen outside of the city, with Boundary Trails and Dauphin also seeing longer waits.

The Manitoba Conservatives are blaming NDP mismanagement, while the province says the issue is due to increased access.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the province is doing more CT scans than it’s ever done before.

“We’ve been investing in more capacity here in the province, and as a result, we’re doing more CTs than we’ve done previously, and it’s like that for many diagnostics,” Asagwara said.

The minister noted the province is taking an approach that is building more capacity by hiring more health-care workers.

“What we’re seeing in our data is that we’re finally getting to the folks who’ve been waiting the longest,” Asagwara said.

“So Manitobans who’ve been waiting for years and weren’t able to get these essential tests and health care are finally getting into the queue and finally getting those tests and procedures done.”

Just over 26,000 CT scans were performed in Manitoba in August—three per cent more than the year before. Around 12,000 people were on the wait list during that time, compared to more than 14,000 in August 2024.

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