Nearly 24,000 Canadians Die While Waiting for Medical Procedures, Raising Alarms Over Health-Care Capacity

Gaganjot Singh (Toronto):  A new report indicates that nearly 24,000 Canadians died this year while waiting for medical procedures, underscoring a deepening crisis in access to timely care across the country. The findings highlight prolonged delays for surgeries, diagnostic tests, and specialist consultations, with multiple provinces struggling to meet rising demand amid capacity constraints.

Toronto hospitals are among those most severely affected, facing significant backlogs in essential procedures such as cardiac surgeries and cancer related diagnostics. Health care experts warn that these delays are contributing to preventable complications and, in some instances, avoidable deaths. They caution that without immediate action to expand staffing, increase operating-room capacity, and streamline patient flow, wait-time figures and associated mortality could rise even further.

The report is expected to intensify debate within Ontario’s health sector and fuel renewed calls for targeted investments, improved coordination, and policy reforms aimed at alleviating systemic pressure. For patients and families affected by mounting delays, the findings reflect a pressing need for accelerated and sustained improvements across Canada’s health-care system.