The provincial opposition is calling on the SaskParty government to end private MRIs in Saskatchewan.

Leader Ryan Meili says the provincial government’s decision to allow private MRIs in the province has failed.

Meili says the decision has resulted in longer wait times instead of reducing the amount of time those have to wait. He adds the province needs to instead make sure the MRIs that are being ordered are necessary.

The NDP leader says a recent study in Alberta showed that around half of the MRIs ordered in that province were unnecessary which could also be the case in Saskatchewan. Meili adds increasing the usage of the current MRIs in the province will drop wait times.

He says the MRIs in Saskatoon and Moose Jaw aren’t being used to their full effect with the one in Moose Jaw closing down at 4 in the afternoon everyday.

Many private clinics across the country charge service-fees, which under the Canada Health Act are prohibited.

The NDP says the province has until the 1st of April to come into compliance. If found in violation, the province could be subject to financial penalties.

According to recent numbers from the province, there were more than ten thousand people on the wait list last summer. That’s compared to just over five thousand in the spring of 2015.