Jessica Morine, 38, can sympathize with Neil’s experience. She spent years waiting for care for pelvic pain and rectal prolapse, while suffering from painful vaginal bleeding. His only respite was taking opioids full time.

In January, she was referred for prolapse surgery and a hysterectomy. But the surgeon she had been referred to suddenly resigned in March, meaning she had to be referred again – putting her back in box 1.

With her pain worsening and not knowing when she might get a call, she traveled to Mexico to have the surgeries she needed to start living a normal life again. She paid $14,000 out of pocket.

“I was looking at the wall of the operating room in Mexico…and my last thought before they gave me anesthesia was, ‘I was forced to be here by the Nova Scotia health system.’ ” said Morine, who lives in suburban Halifax. Spryfield and has two children aged five and 10.