WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation responded to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's (WRHA) announcement to purchase services from the Maples Surgical Centre, who had been providing patients pediatric dental services and MRI scans for a fee. The deal signed with the WRHA will no longer allow patients to choose to pay for these services, rather than linger on a wait list.

"This announcement is a significant blow to those in the province that recognize the futility of the government's monopoly and want choice in health care," stated Provincial Director Adrienne Batra. "The NDP government has been at odds with the Maples Surgical Centre since it began charging a fee for patients that wanted to receive an MRI immediately, as opposed to waiting on a government wait list."

The owner of the Maples, Dr. Mark Godley, signed the $2.3 million deal with the WRHA and will now have to report to the health care bureaucracy. Godley's clinic had been charging $695 per MRI scan and had a turnover time of 48 hours. "Comparing that to the government's wait time for an MRI of 9 weeks, the private clinic was offering a service to Manitobans that clearly the government was incapable of doing in a reasonable time," added Batra.

In a ground breaking decision last year in the Chaoulli v Quebec ruling Supreme Court of Canada stated "It does not appear that private participation leads to the eventual demise of public health care." Unfortunately, those words mean little to nothing to the NDP government who are claiming victory against those that want to pay for services.

"Essentially what the government has told Manitobans today is they expect all Manitobans to suffer equally under their monopoly, and forget about using your own, after tax dollars to purchase health care."