”Great start” and ”tremendous gift” are words being used to describe the Ford government’s announcement that it intends to spend up to $324-million to reduce the backlog of surgeries, MRI and CT scans.

While calling it a ”great start,” Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of the world renowned University Health Network told Zoomer Radio’s ”Fight Back” with Libby Znaimer he doesn’t know yet if it’s enough.

”Based on the numbers we’re seeing at University Health Network, which is about 5,000 cases we had to cancel, I’m optimistic that it is enough, and that if we had to go back to the (health) ministry and the minister and talk about additional funding for catch-up, I think that she’s open and accessible for us to do so,” Smith told the show.

Meanwhile, the president of the Ontario Association of Radiologists told ”Fight Back,” the funding is a ”tremendous gift for patients.”

”In terms of whether it’s going to clear out the backlog, yes I think it will for diagnostic imaging,” according to Dr. David Jacobs.

”What it won’t clear out quite yet is all of our procedures that we do.” 

And if some of the funding can be turned into more permanent funding, Jacobs thinks the province is going to be in ”very good shape going forward.”