Calgarian hopeful for donor as unsettling report unveils growing wait list deaths

A new report finds tens of thousands of Canadians died while on medical wait lists this year. The actual number might be higher.

An alarming report shows a rising number of people dying while on medical wait lists in Canada, and concerns that some regions, including all of Alberta, don’t even track the data.

The report by public policy think tank SecondStreet.org shows wait-list deaths rose three per cent across Canada year over year.

“I think what we can see from the data is alarm bells are going off,” said Colin Craig, SecondStreet.org president.

According to SecondStreet.org, at least 23,746 patients died in Canada while waiting for surgeries or diagnostic procedures between April 2024 and March 2025.

But the actual number is likely higher because some health groups only provided partial data or none at all.

Alberta Health said it stopped tracking wait-list deaths in 2021.

“As the government announces massive changes to public health care, to diagnostics, to surgery, claiming it’s going to address wait times, if they’re not willing to share the data with us, how can we know good decisions are being made? How can we know they’re evidence-based?” said Chris Gallaway with Friends of Medicare.

SecondStreet.org wants governments to track and report the data, then make health-care reforms, similar to systems in Japan, France and Sweden.

“Their public systems are doing a much better job,” said Craig.

“They measure their wait times in days and weeks, (while) we measure ours in months and years.”

Rossalyn Fritz of Calgary wants to return to family travels and her job, but her life has been on hold for more than five years as she waits for a kidney donor.

“I do nine hours of dialysis every day,” Fritz said.

She is on three waitlists right now.

She does have to stay on the two waitlists, for diagnostic testing and heart surgery.

However she (and anyone waiting for an organ) can skip the organ donor waitlist if someone steps up to donate one of their kidneys (or a piece of their liver, etc.)

“Will it be too late? By that time, will I be too unwell to have a kidney and I’ll have to stay on dialysis for the rest of my life?” said Fritz.

She and her family hope she gets the care she needs soon.

While Fritz has to wait, patients can skip the deceased donor organ wait list if someone comes forward as a living donor.

“I really hope that we’re able to see the end,” said Fritz’s daughter, Ava.

“I hope that is an actual possibility. “

Anyone interested in becoming a living donor can contact Alberta Health Services.