According to the British Columbia medical association report it was announced that patients who are in need of cardiac, hip or knee operations should not be made to wait for more than six months.

The British Columbia released two reports which were commissioned by the provincial and federal medical associations. Long waits result in further deterioration of the patient’s health thereby requiring a more complication surgery.

These then result in an increase in the cost of the surgery and waste of time and energy both for the patient and the physician.

Margaret MacDiarmid, president of the provincial association, asked the government to take immediate steps to establish specific waiting-time benchmarks for all major diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical services.

The association has also asked for a 25 % increase in operating-room capacity.