The province will spend $2 million on an extra 1,400 cataract surgeries over the next four months.
Most of the additional surgeries — 1,000 — will be done in Calgary where wait-lists are the longest. Another 300 will be performed at non-hospital surgical facilities in Edmonton and 100 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta Health Services announced.
“We have identified priority areas where we are increasing surgeries and improving access,” said AHS president and chief executive officer Dr. Stephen Duckett. “The additional cataract surgeries are part of a larger strategy to increase our overall surgical capacity and address wait times for priority procedures.”
Alberta Health Services distributed an expression of interest document to cataract service providers on Thursday, asking for a response within two weeks. The surgeries are to be completed by Sept. 30 and will include an additional 120 corneal transplants this year, all in Calgary.
“[Thursday’s] announcement emphasizes our ongoing commitment to speed up access to priority health services,” said Minister of Health and Wellness Gene Zwozdesky. “We are working collaboratively with AHS and with ophthalmologic surgeons and facility owners to improve access, to reduce wait times, and to shorten wait lists.”
The surgeries are being funded out of the AHS operating budget. The spring provincial budget wiped out the health board’s $1.3-billion deficit while also increasing its operating budget by six per cent.
Alberta Liberal critic Laurie Blakeman noted that most of the additional surgeries will take place at private clinics in Calgary. The fact that the wait lists are the longest in this area proves that private delivery isn’t as efficient as public, she said.
“I’m glad that [Albertans] are going to get the surgeries that they’re waiting for, it makes a huge difference in people’s lives,” Blakeman said.
“Do I think the government deserves a huge pat on the back for having put us in the position where we have a waiting list like that? No I don’t. They’re not going to get applause from me when they’ve created the situation that is now costing us more money,” she said.
In February AHS launched an $8 million surgical blitz that resulted in an additional 2,250 surgeries and 3,600 additional MRI and CT scans. The department is developing a second surgical blitz that will be launched soon.
