The wait for a CT scan or medical imaging exam in Newfoundland and Labrador is too long due to a lack of radiology technicians, according to representatives of the profession.
According to Health Newfoundland and Labrador, a patient must wait up to 316 days for a medical imaging exam and 441 days for a CT scan.
This is well beyond the 60-day maximum established by the Canadian Association of Radiologists for a CT scan.
Imaging tests are often the first interaction patients have with the healthcare system regarding their diagnosis as well as their cancer care journey.
recalls Heather Mulligan, representative of the Canadian Cancer Society in Atlantic Canada.
Any delay in obtaining this control, any delay in obtaining this analysis creates additional delays in their journey
she said.
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Heather Mulligan of the Canadian Cancer Society is responsible for advocacy activities in the Atlantic region.
Photo : CBC / Robert Short
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the number of CT scans increased by 71% between 2010 and 2022 while the number of x-ray technicians increased by only 1% according to Jennifer Carey, regional manager of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists.
The government has focused so much on doctors and nurses who are essential, no doubt, but it has ignored other health professions that are just as essential
she said.
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Jennifer Carey, Atlantic director of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists, also recently denounced the shortage of radiotherapists.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Alex Kennedy
To reduce the waiting list, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has extended hours for radiology departments, but that’s putting more strain on staff, according to Jerry Earle, president of the Health Employees’ Association. public and private sectors of Newfoundland and Labrador.
We cannot run a health system on the backs of people who are already there and who have been under immense pressure for several years.
he said.
Facilitate recruitment
We are not assembly line workers and patients are not a product
says Jennifer Carey.
Healthcare should be a team approach.
For the president of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, Ania Kielar, we must increase the number of places in training centers and facilitate the recognition of the qualifications of health workers who immigrate to Canada.
It’s very hard for me as a doctor to sleep at night because I know I can’t give the patient what they need.
There are not enough schools and even if a school is full, not everyone wants to continue on this path and, while people stayed longer, since COVID-19, they leave to retire earlier
she said.
With reporting from CBC’s Abby Cole
