The Advantages of Medical Tourism in Turkey

Rafael D. Mikhrali

10/31/2022 – 2 min read

Blog Introduction:

The pandemic has had a major impact on wait times for surgery and other medical procedures in Canada. Wait times have increased due to a number of factors, including the cancellation of non-essential surgeries during the first wave of the pandemic and the reduced capacity of hospitals to treat patients due to COVID-19. In addition, the CIHI data shows that the number of surgeries being performed has decreased since the pandemic began. In March 2020, there were approximately 95,000 surgeries performed across Canada. This number decreased to just over 82,000 in April 2020 and has remained relatively stable since then.

Blog Body:

The impact of the pandemic on surgery wait times is significant. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the median wait time for surgery was 19.8 weeks in 2019-2020, up from 18.1 weeks in 2018-2019. This is the longest wait time recorded since CIHI began tracking this data in 2004-2005.

The increase in wait times is due to a number of factors, including the cancellation of non-essential surgeries during the first wave of the pandemic and the reduced capacity of hospitals to treat patients due to COVID-19. In addition, the CIHI data shows that the number of surgeries being performed has decreased since the pandemic began. In March 2020, there were approximately 95,000 surgeries performed across Canada. This number decreased to just over 82,000 in April 2020 and has remained relatively stable since then.

Hospitals are struggling to catch up with the demand for surgery. The pandemic has led to a decrease in both elective and non-elective surgery across Canada, which has put added pressure on hospital resources. As a result, patients are facing longer wait times for both scheduled and emergency surgery.

One bright spot is that some provinces have started to catch up on their backlogs of surgery cases. For example, Manitoba had a backlog of approximately 2,700 cases at the start of the pandemic. As of October 2020, that number had decreased to just over 1,700 cases. In Saskatchewan, the backlog stands at about 3,500 cases, which is down from a high of 4,200 in May 2020.

However, it will likely be several months before all provinces are able to clear their backlogs and return to pre-pandemic levels of service. In the meantime, patients who are waiting for surgery may want to consider medical tourism as an option.

Medical tourism is when people travel outside their home country to receive medical care. It is often chosen as an option when people are facing long wait times for surgery or other procedures in their home country. Medical tourism can be an attractive option for many people because it offers them access to high-quality care at a fraction of the cost they would pay at home.

Conclusion:

Patients seeking medical care in Canada may face significant delays due to the pandemic. Hospitals are struggling to keep up with demand, as elective procedures have been canceled and resources are stretched thin. As a result, patients may have to wait months or even years for surgery. Those seeking immediate medical attention may find themselves waiting even longer if they require emergency surgery. If you are facing a long wait for surgery, you may want to consider medical tourism as an option. Medical tourism can offer you access to high-quality care at a fraction of the cost you would pay at home.

References:

1) https://www.cihi.ca/en/explore-wait-times-for-priority-procedures-across-canada;

2) https://www.cma.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/Media-Releases/Deloitte-Clearing-the-Backlog.pdf;

3) https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/time-to-tackle-health-care-wait-times-in-canada;

4) https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-hospital-er-wait-times-approached-2-hours-in-april-1.5949569