Kielar said all provinces need more equipment and more specialized staff to use the technology to its maximum potential.
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“Right now, the equipment that we have, which in itself is not enough, is being used very extended hours and, unfortunately, we just don’t have enough people to run what we have, so it’s a two-sided problem,” she said.
During the last federal election campaign, the Liberals promised $6 billion to the provinces to help address the wait for some procedures.
But Kielar said Ottawa should earmark money specifically for buying new equipment, training and hiring more technicians.
In a statement Monday, Health Canada said the federal government is spending more than $19 billion to support provinces and territories through its Safe Restart Agreement.
“The agreement includes $700 million to help ensure health-care systems are ready for possible future waves of the virus and federal funding is being used by some provinces and territories to address backlogs and reduce waits for care,” the statement said.
The federal agency did not say whether any money would be reserved for more medical imaging equipment and technicians.
The office of federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kielar said she hopes the federal government acts on its promise because hospitals across the country will continue to be under strain.
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“We cannot catch up with the amount of equipment and the human health resources we have,” she said.
“But at the end of the day, it’s the patients who are suffering and that is the hardest part for us.”
© 2022 The Canadian Press
