In Saskatchewan, the opposition New Democratic Party criticized the provincial government's policy of sending patients to Alberta for mammography, saying it costs the government 10 times more.

It is noteworthy that Saskatchewan's Minister of Health, Everett Hindley, announced last week that the government will send patients outside the province to Calgary for breast cancer screening.

For his part, the regional Minister of Health said the contract with the private company Clearpoint covers 1,000 patients and continues until March 2025. The province plans to spend about $3.5 million on this initiative, including paying medical expenses and travel costs for patients.

Health Minister Everett Hindley described the plan as a temporary solution to reduce unacceptable waiting times for screenings and biopsies in the province.

According to Hindley, 350 people in Saskatchewan are waiting an average of 10 weeks for a breast cancer screening, which should take three weeks.

New Democratic Party leader Carla Beck said the government's plan will cost $2,000 per scan, which would be reduced to $206.20 if conducted in the province.

Carla Beck also added: "Why do we pay women nearly 10 times the amount to get a scan in Calgary instead of increasing the capacity to conduct screening in the province?"

In an email, a spokesperson for the New Democratic Party explained that Beck's comments did not include nearly $1.5 million in travel and accommodation reimbursements.

On the other hand, Hindley said the opposition's focus is more on money than on the health of the state's residents.

Hindley added that the province is taking initiatives to address vacancies for specialized thoracic radiologists.

Hindley also said that people have started accepting travel offers to Calgary for testing, but Beck says this does not prove effective.