Andrew Scheer to invest $1.5 billion to replace and purchase new MRI and CT machines

Investment will reduce wait times for potentially life-saving scans

A new Conservative government will invest $1.5 billion in its
first term to purchase MRI machines and CT machines to replace aging equipment and
add machines across the country, reducing wait times for potentially
life-saving tests for Canadians, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer announced today.

“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians wait longer than the recommended
time for an MRI or a CT scan. That is just not good enough”, said Scheer. “This
investment will help our health care providers to deliver quality services with
the most up-to-date technology, giving patients quicker access to reliable,
potentially life-saving tests.”

Justin Trudeau’s never-ending deficits and out-of-control
spending have put Canada on track to hit $1 trillion in debt by 2035. If
Trudeau is given four more years, his debt and never-ending deficits will
threaten our ability to deliver quality public services like health and social
programs.

A
new Conservative government will live within its means to protect health care
in the long term. As written in a letter to all Premiers in August 2019, as
Prime Minister, Andrew Scheer will maintain and increase the current funding
formula for the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer.

“Canadians need a government that understands that balancing the budget is the best way to maintain the services that they rely on the most, including health care,” Scheer said. “Canada’s Conservatives will give you more help for your health, so you can get ahead.”

FACTS:

Justin Trudeau said he would balance the budget
by 2019. Instead, he has raised taxes, imposed a carbon tax, and his massive overspending
now puts health and social programs at risk.
According to a recent report
by the Conference
Board of Canada, Canada’s stock of MRI and CT
machines is aging, supply is not keeping up with demand, and wait times for
these important diagnostic tests exceed the wait-time recommendations from the
Canadian Association of Radiologists.
By upgrading and increasing available
medical imaging equipment, Canadians will have better, faster access to quality
tests. Getting earlier access to a test could mean an earlier diagnosis for the
patient.
In addition to improving wait
times, this investment will also give provincial governments some additional
spending flexibility, as the federal government would pick up the bill for
replacing out-of-date imaging equipment that the provinces would likely have to
replace.
Demand for medical imaging
tests is only expected to increase as our population ages.