The Opposition says simply shoring up the relationship with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute won’t help patients on the wait list now.

The government announced Thursday a memorandum of understanding with the institute that will continue to see some people flown to the nation’s capital for procedures that can’t be done here.

Meanwhile, several surgeons from the institute will continue to operate here, both virtually and in person.

PC Leader David Brazil says he’s open to any solutions to reduce the wait list, but was expecting something much bigger.

He says it falls short of the Opposition’s expectations, noting they were anticipating an announcement related to the creation of a cardiac centre of excellence in this province. Instead, Brazil says it’s a temporary, short-term fix as opposed to a longer-term vision and solution.

The current waitlist for cardiac surgery in the province stands at about 150.

Eastern Health’s clinical chief of cardiac care, Dr. Sean Connors, says the goal is a six-week average wait, depending on the urgency.