A Niagara politician says some local residents are waiting more than triple the average wait time for an MRI.
Niagara Falls NDP MPP, Wayne Gates, brought forward the issue at Queen's Park today, asking the the Ford government why some Niagara residents are waiting 350 days to get the scan,
He says Premier Doug Ford is not doing enough to improve wait times.
“While the Premier chose to take a five-month long summer break, my constituents are experiencing a crisis when it comes to accessing MRI services in Niagara,” said Gates. “Residents – including seniors – are having to travel as far as Mississauga and the United States to get a timely MRI and are having to pay out of pocket for the service."
“The Premier created a crisis in health care staffing in this province, with actions like Bill 124 and continued underfunding of our health care system. When is this government going to properly fund public health care services in Ontario and ensure that my constituents in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, and Niagara-on-the-Lake get the MRI services they deserve, when they need them?”
As of August 2024, the provincial average wait time for high priority MRI services is 97 days
According to Gates' at the Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls, the average wait time is 349 days.