A report released late last week by the Fraser Institute suggests Saskatchewan patients receive elective health services more quickly than the majority of other provinces.

According to the annual survey of doctors, the province was ranked as having the second-shortest wait times for patients seeking medically-necessary elective treatment.

"Our government is proud of the successes the health system has achieved in improving access to surgery," the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health told Swift Current Online via email.

It was estimated in the report Saskatchewan patients waited roughly 19.8 weeks. That's an increase from 16.6 weeks in 2016.

"Further work is ongoing to reduce wait times for medical imaging and for appointments with a specialist," the ministry noted.

Included in the data released was Saskatchewan tied for first in the country for wait times for CT scans and ultrasounds, while the survey ranked the province fifth for MRI wait times.

"Despite increased funding and capacity for medical imaging, we understand there are still people who wait too long for medical imaging services," the minstry said.