Health Care Wait-Times in Canada. What can I do about it?

Canadians are waiting longer than ever for medically necessary treatment, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute in Dec 2021.

The median wait time for treatment in Canada for the year 2021 was 25.6 weeks, up from 20.9 weeks wait time in 2019.

Fraser Institute has been studying wait times across Canada by surveying specialists since 1993. This year’s wait time is the longest wait time recorded in this survey’s history and is 175% longer than in 1993, when it was just 9.3 weeks.

The report splits wait times into 2 parts – referral by a general practitioner to consultation with a specialist and from specialist to the point where a patient receives treatment.

In Ontario, patients waited an average of 8.2 weeks to see a specialist after being referred to by a family doctor and then another 10.3 weeks for treatment.

“Long wait times aren’t simply minor inconveniences, they can result in increased suffering for patients, lost productivity at work, a decreased quality of life, and in the worst cases, disability or death,” said Mackenzie Moir, Fraser Institute policy analyst and study co-author.

You can ask – so what can I do about it? You can receive elective treatment in another country or you can take responsibility for your health and while waiting start doing other important things you can do:

1. Decrease your consumption of “junk food”

2. Drink 6-8 glasses of clear water per day

3. Do light exercises every day

4. Book an acupuncture appointment, which gives your holistic approach to your health. You will be diagnosed and get supportive treatment while you are waiting, which helps you to manage your pain, increase your productivity, and improve your quality of life.

So while you waiting for your medical specialist appointment, try an alternative – Traditional Chinese medicine and book your initial visit to “Shtepura Wellness Clinic” today online on the website Shtepura.com or by phone at 416-856-2535.