Quebec Health Minister Gaetan Barrette is firing back at the province’s radiologists, who have voiced concerns over new rules concerning ultrasounds at private clinics.
Beginning in 2017, the procedure was made free to the public at the clinics in an effort to cut down on wait times and increase accessibility.
The radiologists’ union objected, saying no plan on reimbursing the clinics had been reached and saying Quebec’s hospitals have five times more ultrasound devices than the private network.
Barrette, a former radiologist himself, told CTV Montreal that estimates on the cost of the procedure provided by the radiologists were off-base.
“An ultrasound machine costs roughly $30,000 to buy and maintain per year,” he said. “That’s what it costs, even if you add personnel. Does it cost $420,000 per machine, per year? This is clearly unacceptable.”
