Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty burnished his credentials as a guardian of medicare Friday, announcing nine new or expanded MRI clinics, while pursuing plans to bring for-profit MRIs into the public fold.
"To keep Ontarians healthy, we need to reduce wait times for key medical services, including MRIs," Mr. McGuinty said as he launched a new magnetic resonance imaging site at Ottawa's Queensway Carleton Hospital.
"That's why we have an aggressive plan to fund nine new or expanded MRI sites within our first mandate. At the same time, the province has been negotiating to bring for-profit MRIs into the public system."
The premier said his government has "repatriated" three for-profit MRIs - located in Kitchener, Kingston and Richmond Hill - nearly doubling hours of operation at all three clinics.
The Ontario purchase of for-profit clinics is a first in Canada, and critics say it's intended to score political points with a public worried about creeping privatization of health care.
In Toronto, Conservative health critic Frank Klees said the move to bring the clinics into the public sector could cost taxpayers upwards of $30-million, but won't shorten waiting lists.
"It's irresponsible, it's ideologically driven, and it's a waste of taxpayers' dollars," Mr. Klees said.
Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman took exception to Mr. Klees's comments.
Later Friday, the health minister issued a taped statement saying: "Frank Klees B.S. notwithstanding, this is about more access and MRIs for people in the province of Ontario; this is about shorter waiting times."
Mr. McGuinty made no reference to federal health funding in his remarks, although Ottawa provided $1.5-billion for high-tech medical equipment in the 2003 health accord.
In a press conference later, Mr. McGuinty denied allegations that this month's $42-billion health deal - an in particular the side deal with Quebec - will undermine Ottawa's ability to enforce national standards of access to care.
"I think that for most Canadians that's the political equivalent of a debate centering upon how many angels can dance on the head of a pin," he said. "I think what most Canadians want to know is, is there now more money available to invest in improvement of the quality of their health care system. And that's what we did.
"I happen to believe . . .that the arrangement we came to is a reflection of our confidence and maturity as a country. It is no skin off our nose if we can find an arrangement that accommodates Quebec's particular needs and desires."
Ontario's other new or expanded MRI clinics will be in Owen Sound, Oakville, Markham, Richmond Hill, Niagara Falls, London and Windsor. As well, a second Ottawa clinic will open at the Montfort Hospital which mainly serves francophones.
Negotiations continue in an effort to bring more for-profit MRIs into the public system, officials said.