The premier of Canada's east coast province of Newfoundland and Labrador is undergoing heart surgery in the United States later this week because the treatment he is seeking was not available in his home province.
Newfoundland Deputy Premier Kathy Dunderdale said Tuesday Danny Williams decided to go to the U.S. for surgery after weeks of consultation with his doctors. She did not say where in the U.S. he would seek care.
Dunderdale says having the surgery done in the province was never an option. She says she couldn't comment on whether the type of surgery Williams is having was available elsewhere in Canada.
His decision has triggered a heated debate, particularly in a country that prides itself on its universal health care system.
Copyright 2010 AP News
