安大略卫生倡导者抗议私人诊所要求支付公开报道的白内障手术费用。 Ontario health advocates protest private clinic demanding payments for publicly covered cataract surgery.

安大略的保健倡导者对康沃尔的视力前科外科中心表示关切,称私人诊所要求病人支付白内障手术费和附加费,尽管该手术由OHIP负责。 Health advocates in Ontario raised concerns about Premium Vision Surgical Centres in Cornwall, alleging the private clinic requires patients to pay for cataract surgery and add-ons despite the procedure being covered by OHIP. 安大略卫生联盟的Natalie Mehra说, 工作人员告诉她手术不会在没有付款的情况下进行, 认为手术不道德且可能是非法的。 Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition said staff told her surgery wouldn’t proceed without payment, calling the practice unethical and potentially illegal. 她强调了在私人诊所和康沃尔社区医院工作的Tarek Youssef博士之间的利益冲突问题。 She highlighted a conflict of interest involving Dr. Tarek Youssef, who works at both the private clinic and Cornwall Community Hospital. 倡导者强调,白内障手术由政府出资,公立医院可提供,平均等待时间约为7个月。 Advocates stress that cataract surgery is publicly funded and available at public hospitals, with average wait times of about seven months. 他们警告说,私人诊所助长了健康不平等,他们引用的数据表明,较富有的病人的外科手术率较高。 They warn that private clinics contribute to health inequities, citing data showing higher surgery rates among wealthier patients. 该小组敦促省政府停止为营利性诊所提供资金,加强公共卫生保健,特别是在6月宣布对57个新的私人诊所投资1.5亿美元之后。 The group urges the provincial government to halt funding for for-profit clinics and strengthen public health care, especially after a $150 million investment in 57 new private clinics was announced in June. 诊所没有回应提出意见的请求。 The clinic did not respond to requests for comment.