Author: James Alexander Michie

The health authority of Vancouver Coastal Health has ended a contract with a private surgery center, False Creek Healthcare Center, apparently due to patient payment problems. Leaving as a consequence that until next week an approximate of 115 surgeons and anesthesiologists cannot use the facilities of the Vancouver clinic.

Likewise, this change came a month before the enactment of a new legislation which imposes severe penalties on those private clinics in addition to doctors who offer their services that are medically necessary and that are likewise paid directly by patients seeking faster treatment As a result, it has been observed that several clinics have appeared in court seeking to prevent this law from becoming effective as of October 1.

It is necessary to highlight that over time, health authorities have been subcontracting cases of day surgery to private clinics as a result of excess capacity that attracts significant delays in surgeries that are not urgent. In addition to this, another point that should be brought up, is the fact that there are several private clinics that have offered three patient care services that attend them, which are financed with public funds, which are financed from private way in order to obtain fast services and finally those third-party treatments for various agencies in addition to patients covered by federal government agencies. Similarly, mention will be made of an event that took place last year, where Vancouver Coastal Health made a payment to the False Creek clinic of $ 1.9 million for a series of operations and treatments in patients who would otherwise have to wait from months to years for various surgical procedures.

Despite everything that has happened, there are health authorities that have not broken contracts with private clinics and in fact, it has been said that they still have an important role.

Source: PAMELA FAYERMAN | Vancouver Sun