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In early November, 81-year-old Sel Paranjothy received a strange phone call.
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His son Ted says it was for a spine assessment appointment he was referred to 12 years ago.
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“Why are you calling me now?” ” He asked.
“We have availability now,” Sel replied.
Intrigued, Sel went to the Health Sciences Center on Nov. 8 to get the final assessment he was referred to in 2010.
As the appointment with the physical therapist progressed, Sel had to remember what medications he was taking a dozen years ago, which he couldn’t remember. Salt was later told his records showed he tested positive for COVID-19 in October. It was not true.
“It’s like a mess, piling on top of a mess,” Ted told the Sun.
The physical therapist pointed out to Sel that they spent more time updating her chart than assessing her spine.
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The doctor who referred Sel a dozen years ago had left the province and another doctor involved in the referral had died.
“Normally the wait times are six to seven months for this, but my dad had to wait 12 years,” Ted said. “He was shocked. He’s like ‘How did this happen? Why am I still in the system?’
A spokesperson for Shared Health said they could not speak to the specifics of Sel’s case due to privacy legislation. They recognize that Manitobans are generally waiting longer than anyone would like for spine assessments. The general wait time according to Shared Health is between three and six months.
Spine assessments are currently not tracked on Manitoba’s recently launched Surgical and Diagnostic Dashboard.
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In March, Health Minister Audrey Gordon noted that about 900 Manitobans were waiting for spine assessment clinics. The provincial government announced $400,000 for the HSC clinic to increase the number of assessments performed.
“These new resources help patients receive an appropriate care plan sooner for their spine condition,” Shared Health said in a statement. “About 90% of patients referred to the assessment clinic can benefit from non-surgical interventions such as physiotherapy, chiropractic care or other pain management solutions.”
The province also has an agreement with North Dakota to send patients south of the border for spine surgeries at Sanford Medical Center.
Ted says after thinking a bit more about his dad’s situation given COVID-19 and the state of health care in Canada, it’s no surprise there are delays.
“But I was certainly surprised by the extent of the delay, and that this appointment was even still active in the files at all,” he said.
Sel’s back is fine, by the way.
rstelter@postmedia.com
Twitter: @steltsy94
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