Manitoba Surgery Background Record Sees Couple Shelling Out $ 16k for Earlier Appointment in Mexico – Winnipeg | The Canadian News

Pat and Irene Blaney spend most of their winters near Puerto Vallarta, but this year’s trip to Mexico was more important to the Otter Falls couple than ever.

Pat Blaney, 67, began suffering from hip pain in the summer. After confirming with his doctor that he would need hip surgery, he was referred to a second doctor in Winnipeg.

“I’m an active guy,” he says. “Hunting is a big part of my downfall and I couldn’t go moose hunting and only came out with two goose shoots because it was too painful.”

In October, the Blaneys received a letter from the Winnipeg Regional Authority saying that Pat would not get an initial consultation with a surgeon for at least eight months. In addition to that, they were also told after the consultation, that it would be another 18 months until their hip surgery was performed, a total of more than two years of waiting with pain for a replacement.

“Imagine the people who are waiting for heart surgeries or cancer surgeries that are also being put off. At least for me, I wasn’t going to die from it, but those people could die. “

The latest information from Doctor’s Manitoba shows that in October, there were more than 136,000 surgeries and procedures supported in the province. Of that number, there were more than 8,600 hip and knee surgeries alone.

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So Pat Blaney began looking for an alternative outside the country. Knowing that they will vacation near Puerto Vallarta all winter, the couple connected with an orthopedic surgeon in Mexico.

The couple decided that Pat’s quality of life was more important than the high price they knew they would have to pay. On November 11, Pat attended her first appointment with the Mexican doctor; seven days later he was taken out of the hospital with a new hip.

But the two also left with a hefty price to pay: a $ 16,000 medical bill.

“It’s worth the money, twice or triple to feel the way I feel now compared to last week,” he said.

Pat said he will give the receipt to the Manitoba government and hopes that part of the cost will be covered.

“I am not going to file a claim for lodging or airfare. All I want is what it cost me out of pocket to do this. I do not ask for more or less ”.

“How valuable is your quality of life? For me, it was worth that money and hopefully they will reimburse me for something. “

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Audrey Gordon said the government cannot comment on individual cases, but said addressing the delay is a priority. The ministry said it has contracted with five organizations and partners to perform more than 11,000 additional procedures to begin addressing the delay caused by COVID-19, including:

• Pan Am – hand procedures, foot procedures
• Western Surgery – Cataracts, Pediatric Dentistry, Plastics
• Cancer Care Manitoba – urology
• Vision Group – cataracts
• Maples – General Surgery, ENT Procedures

Pat said this was her third surgery. They replaced one knee in 2019 and the other hip in 2017. Both procedures, he said, had wait times, but nothing compared to what they are now. He said he has no regrets about his decision at all.

“The hospital, everything, was first class, impeccable. The nurses were great, the doctors were great. “

Pat and Irene said they plan to stay in Mexico until spring. But when they return, Pat said he plans to go snowmobiling and hunt next fall with his new hip.