In this Aug. 7, 2018 photo, a doctor performs an ultrasound scan on a pregnant woman at a hospital in Chicago. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Teresa Crawford)
WINNIPEG — The backlog for ultrasound testing in Manitoba has been eliminated, according to the province.
Health officials on Friday said there were no patients waiting for an ultrasound in November 2022, compared to 612 waiting in October as a result of the backlog. Data from December and early January isn’t yet available.
“The median wait time for ultrasounds is now shorter than it was before the pandemic with more than one-third of sites providing scans meeting the wait time target of 8.5 weeks,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon, in a release. “This means more Manitobans can access this important diagnostic imaging tool more quickly.”
Gordon attributed the reduction in ultrasound imaging wait times to the work of the Diagnostic and Surgical Recovery Task Force, which was established in December 2021 to address wait times in connecting Manitobans with vital health-care services.
According to an online dashboard, the latest data shows the wait for ultrasounds has decreased to below pre-pandemic levels. The monthly median wait time for the procedure in November 2022 was seven weeks, compared to November 2019, when it was nine weeks.
