Manitoba minister says “No” to private surgical centre
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* David Square

A private surgical centre proposed by a British Columbia firm will never be allowed to open its doors in Winnipeg, Manitoba Health Minister Dave Chomiak says. "This is contrary to the concept of medicare," Chomiak says. "We are not in the business of licensing private health care facilities in this province."

The False Creek Surgical Centre would be the first of its kind in Manitoba, and its executive director says it would help shorten some of the country's longest surgical waiting lists. Dr. Mark Godley said his Vancouver clinic, which provides orthopedic, general and plastic surgery, bills third parties such as workers' compensation. Patients are sent to the private clinic to bypass long waiting lists in the public system and allow injured workers to get back on the job as quickly as possible. Chomiak says he will consider new legislation to keep the private centre out of Manitoba, but Godley says he's determined to proceed. —