More than 1,000 obese Manitobans are waiting to see if the provincial government will approve a weight-loss surgery program that could save their lives.
A total of 110 patients, all women, have undergone bariatric surgery as part of pilot program Manitoba Health has funded since late 2010.
But the program's future is uncertain, as the province is in the process of reviewing it.
Dr. Chris Andrew, who heads up the pilot program unit, said he believes that bariatric surgeries must become more accessible.
"In the private system, the bottom line is that a lot of people couldn't do that simply for financial reasons," he told CBC News.
"We're doing the surgery as a treatment for patients, not just to lose weight and look better, but to help with conditions associated with obesity like diabetes [and] hypertension."
Private clinics offered weight-loss procedures in the beginning, but the costs were out of reach for many people, he said.
The Manitoba Health pilot program offered two types of bariatric procedures:
Gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the size of one's stomach and changes how the stomach and small intestine handle food.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, in which the stomach alone is reduced in size.
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Manitoba weight-loss surgery program's future uncertain
