MPP Wayne Gates says the wait time for MRIs in Niagara is 255 days, compared to the province-wide average of 141 days.
A Niagara Falls MPP is putting Premier Doug Ford to task on the issue of MRI backlogs in the area.
During Question Period today, Wayne Gates called on Ford to provide more funds to Niagara Health to help address what he says is an "MRI crisis."
"Today in Niagara, only six per cent of Niagara residents have received their MRI within the provincial benchmark of 28 days, compared to 46 per cent of Ontario residents who have their scan within that time," said Gates. "The current wait time for an MRI in Niagara is 255 days, well above the provincial average of 141 days. Will you provide the necessary funding to ensure residents of Niagara have fair access to MRI scans - yes or no?"
In 2017, the MPP introduced a motion asking the province to increase operating funding and decrease wait times for MRI screenings, which was passed.
However, he says since then, wait times in Niagara have surged above the provincial average.
"There are 5,000 Niagara residents today waiting for an MRI," said Gates. "These scans could be the difference of life or death and people are sitting at home in stress waiting 255 days to get scans they need."
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