TORONTO – As part of its diabetes strategy, Ontario is further expanding access to bariatric surgery (also known as gastric by-pass surgery) by creating a comprehensive bariatric network and boosting the number of annual surgeries to 2,085 a year by 2011/2012.

The Ontario government is investing up to $12.6 million to increase tis bariatric surgery capacity by over 750% over the next three years.

Increasing access to bariatric services is part of the government’s four-year, $741-million diabetes strategy to prevent, manage and treat diabetes. It will also decrease pressure on Ontario’s out-of-country program, saving about $10,000 for each case that will now be able to be handled in the province.

“Our government is committed to helping Ontarians lead healthy lives. We’re increasing the availability of bariatric surgery as well as other assessment and counselling services so that more people battling severe obesity can get the treatment they need right here in Ontario,” says Health and Long-Term Care Minister David Caplan.

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