British Columbians lost roughly $2,450 in potential income in 2018 because they were waiting for medical procedures, according to a new report by the Fraser Institute.
The annual study, released Thursday, looked at more than one million people who were left waiting for medically necessary treatments last year.
The estimated 1,082,541 patients in Canada who were waiting each lost $1,924 on average in wages and reduced productivity during working hours, or $2.1 billion combined.
Manitoba faced the highest per-patient cost of waiting at $2,852, followed by Prince Edward Island with $2,594.
“Waiting for medically necessary treatment remains a hallmark of the Canadian healthcare system, and in addition to increased pain and suffering – and potentially worse medical outcomes – these long waits also cost Canadians time at work and with family and friends,” said Bacchus Barua, associate director of health policy studies, in a news release.
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