Hundreds of Sask. Patients Continue to Die on Waitlists

REGINA, SK: Today, Canadian think tank SecondStreet.org released new data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, that show 385 Saskatchewan patients died while waiting for surgery in 2023-24. This number is down only slightly from last year’s total of 402.

“This is yet another indication that the Canadian health model is broken. Patients work their whole lives and pay sky-high taxes into a slow, inefficient health care system, then die without getting necessary surgery,” said SecondStreet.org Communications Director Dom Lucyk. “While the Saskatchewan government has taken some positive steps towards health reform, this is yet another indicator that more change is needed, on the double.”

Patients died while waiting for a variety of surgeries. The majority died waiting for surgeries that would have improved their quality of life in their last days, such as cataract and orthopedic surgery. However, a few died waiting for surgeries that could have potentially saved their lives, such as cardiac, brain, or spinal surgery.

This new data brings the total number of Saskatchewanians who have died waiting for surgery to 1,898 since SecondStreet.org began tracking the data in 2018-19. It’s important to note that Saskatchewan does not track the number of patients who died waiting for diagnostic scans, so the total number of patients who died waiting for care is likely much higher. 

“The good news is there are many ways to fix this problem,” continued Lucyk. “If we look to countries with better performing universal systems, like Sweden, Australia, and France, we could copy their policies and improve outcomes for Sask patients. There’s a treasure trove of great ideas just waiting to be copied.”

To see the Ministry of Health’s response to the Freedom of Information request – click here.