Saskatchewan’s NDP says the province is failing women who need breast cancer biopsies – pointing to leaked emails that show some women are not able to seek treatment in another province.

With so many people needing biopsies and limited resources in the province – some patients are being sent to Calgary to shorten wait times.

The provincial government reimburses $1,500 of the travel costs for those who choose to travel to Alberta.

However, the NDP obtained a government email that says some women have declined the offer because they don’t have the cash to cover expenses up front.

“My understanding is that there is a cap on that. They are not covering the full cost of the trip, so women are left out of pocket and some women are just choosing not to make the trip altogether because of the cap,” MLA Meara Conway explained to reporters.

The messages dated – March 3 and March 6 – make multiple references to the upfront cost being restrictive to some patients.

“Some people can’t participate in this initiative because they don’t have the funds available to pay the costs up front or they don’t have a reliable vehicle to get them to Calgary and can’t afford airfare.”

Since November of 2023, more than 470 Saskatchewan women have had breast cancer diagnostic procedures performed in Calgary.