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'Our health-care system is failing': More than 74,000 Canadians died waiting for health care since 2018

Writer's picture: Chris StoodleyChris Stoodley

A new report also indicates more than 15,000 people in Canada died in 2023-24 while waiting for surgeries and diagnostic scans.

Updated Thu, January 16, 2025 at 3:29 p.m. EST


A new report looking at the number of deaths of Canadians who were awaiting health-care services is revealing some staggering data. (Photo via Getty Images)
A new report looking at the number of deaths of Canadians who were awaiting health-care services is revealing some staggering data. (Photo via Getty Images)

Health care accessibility in Canada is facing some scrutiny, after a new report indicated tens of thousands of people in the country have died since 2018 while on waitlists for services. It also added that between 2023 and 2024, thousands of Canadians have died while waiting for health care.


The "Died on a Waiting List" report, released by Canadian think tank SecondStreet.org on Wednesday, looked at data from health authorities recorded between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, finding at least 15,474 people on health-care waitlists died in Canada within that time period.


However, the research institute noted this data is incomplete, since it excludes Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador as well as most of Manitoba. Moreover, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia only provided data on patients who died while waiting for surgeries, not those seeking diagnostic scans. Overall, the report noted only 12 health bodies across seven provinces — which represents around 62 per cent of Canada's population — were able to provide full or partial data.


In turn, the number of people who died within that time period likely almost doubles to just over 28,000 people. Since April 2018, the data showed 74,677 cases of Canadians dying while waiting for health care.



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