Four more clinics are offering cataract surgeries since the initial announcement two years ago, but now Ontarians know when the province’s plan gets going.

The government intends to approve more privately-owned clinics to provide publicly funded diagnostic services like MRIs and CT scans and surgeries, beginning with hip and knee replacements.

 

 

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says expanding community surgical and diagnostic centres will reduce wait times, adding they will ”always” be paid by ”your OHIP card, never your credit card.”

Currently there are over 900 private health facilities in the province, mainly providing diagnostic imaging services.

Jones also announced Accreditation Canada’s been chosen as the body responsible for ensuring they have the same strong requirements and quality standards as public hospitals.

New Democrat Peter Tabuns worries the plan could actually increase wait times.

”Our fundamental concern is that as you … expand private clinics … you’ll be bleeding staff and money out of the public system and you will be putting people in situation where wait times for publicly-funded, health care will become even longer,” said Tabuns.