Despite spending almost $200 billion on health care each year, Canadians flock out of country each year to get medical treatment they can't get on time, or at all.

The London Free Press spoke with Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews about this trend, called medical tourism by some.

Q: What does it say to you about the state of our health-care system that people feel they have to go elsewhere to get help?

My job is to make sure that people get the care they need right here. We are making some pretty remarkable progress in getting wait times down. We've taken a year off for cataract surgery, more than a year off the surgery for knee replacements, 250 days off hip replacements. Frankly, the governments before us did not take the responsibility seriously to provide the kind of care people should be able to rely on. We don't have good numbers. We don't know how many people are going.

Q: Does it worry, the quality of care people are getting overseas?

People should choose very, very carefully. I would always recommend that they talk to their doctor here before making that kind of major choice. We have very high quality standards here in Canada and I think people should be very careful. Having said that, if they do choose to go out of country, we have a responsibility to care for them when they return.

Q: Some physicians are a little leery of that. What can the government do to make sure Canadians get proper care when they do return?

One of the areas we are focusing on now is people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have gone out of country for their CCSVI treatment. We had heard anecdotally when people were coming back they didn't have etailed information on what procedures they had done, that doctors here didn't feel confident treating them. So we struck an expert panel of people to give us advice on how to ensure patients that are returning do get the best possible care when they come home.

Q: On the subject of MS, that is the big story in alternative care. Why isn't the province doing clinical testing to see if the procedure can be done safely and in Ontario?

It's premature to do that. There is research underway now looking at the co-relation between MS and veins that are blocked. When and if that research points to clinical trials as the next step, then we will proceed with that. It is very important we let the scientists and researchers do their work. We don't want to subject people to procedures that do carry some risk.

Q: Doctors say the system needs more facilities, more doctors, more nurses. I've talked to people who say the system needs more efficiencies. Which way do you lean to get these wait times down and stop people from going out of country?

I think we need to do both. By 2014, we will have doubled the number of doctors graduating every year. We've got almost 3,000 more doctors, 11,000 more nurses working now than when we took office. We have increased health spending by 54%. But at the same time there is absolutely no question we could be getting more value for money out of the dollars we spend on health care. We are taking that very seriously through the Excellent Care for All legislation (passed last year), which is a real focus on improving the quality of care. Poor quality of care is very expensive care. People are discharged from hospital and are back in the hospital within 30 days. That tells me they are not getting the best care from the start. Equally important is a focus on evidence. We cannot afford to fund procedures that don't improve outcomes for people. Putting people through unnecessary procedures is a waste of money.

E-mail randy.richmond@sunmedia.ca, or follow RandyRatlfpress on Twitter.

comment

Dear Randy,

I wish you had asked Minister Matthews why she has loaded the expert committee, to study aftercare for CCSV,I with people who do not believe in or condone the procedure. For instance, the head the the MS Clinic in London and other neuros. Why are there not any GP's or vascular surgeons on the committee? The committee is a farce. I have asked her but she won't respond to me. Thank heavens we can change things with our vote because CCSVI is going to be a big election issue. Everyone knows someone who has MS in Canada.

I live in Parkhill and had to go to California for CCSVI surgery in Feb. of this year. I feel so much better, walking, fatigue, congnitive function, etc. It is the neuros who are keeping us from getting th

Colleen Robinson, March 21st 2011, 3:20pm

More: http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/03/21/17696576.html