Newfoundland's premier is having surgery in the United States, leaving his political opposition to state the obvious: it's one more reason to doubt Canada's public health care system. The Globe and Mail reports.

Premier Danny Williams 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, his deputy premier said Tuesday.

Mr. Williams, 60, decided to go to the United States for surgery after weeks of consultation with his doctors, Kathy Dunderdale said.

“Having the surgery done in the province was never an option,” Ms. Dunderdale said.

“Obviously, it's taken some time to have the diagnosis, progress, consultation with a number of medical experts, so it has taken several weeks.”

Ms. Dunderdale would not reveal what the surgery was beyond the fact that it was heart surgery. She also declined to say where and what day it will take place and whether the type of surgery Mr. Williams is having was available elsewhere in the country.