Ultrasound technologist shortage causes major delays
A shortage of ultrasound technologists has led to long delays for some people requiring the tests.
Health PEI should have about 10 technologists, but only half of those positions are filled.
"It means that we aren't able to perform exams. We are getting a lot of requests in that we have not been able to schedule yet," said Theresa Callaghan, the province's director of diagnostic imaging.
Last week, Health PEI returned stacks of requests for ultrasounds to family doctors.
Almost 2,000 were put on hold.
technologists will do all urgent and emergency cases, breast exams and prenatal tests, but officials say those classified as less-urgent will have to wait.
"I wish we had enough staff that we could book things so we could meet our target wait times, but right now we don't," said Callaghan.
Wait times reduced in 6 months
CBC News spoke with a couple of family doctors who say they are concerned with the delay with ultrasound tests and the fact some tests have been denied. Some patients have waited as long as two years, says one doctor.
Callaghan says there's a national shortage for ultrasound technologists.
"We would like to be able to book all of these patients we did check with some other jurisdictions to see if they could take any of our patients but they're in the same situation. They have longer wait times as well, so they weren't able to accommodate any of our patients."
Health PEI says it has recruited three technologists. One will start this month and two more begin in the fall.
They are also trying to recruit people who may want to work short-term assignments in P.E.I.
Officials also say they're asking doctors to check in with patients who have been unable to get tests done to see if there's been a change in the level of urgency.
They expect there will be more appointments available by the fall and say wait times should be reduced in about six months.
