This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

The topic relating to Ontario Health paying for US etc got me thinking about the CHA. Reading the Act it states that all Canadians (my apologies to our friends south of the 49th) have the right for reasonable access to treatment for a recognized medical problem.
I wrote the BC Provincial Health Minister way back in June suggesting that British Columbia is contravening the Canada Health Act because it is denying investigation and treatment of CCSVI, a recognized medical condition.
I got a reply July 9th ignoring my CHA suggestion but giving me all the other official reasons that CCSVI is not recognized for treating MS.
I know there are some really intelligent people reading this site and the discussion surrounding the Ontario situation confirms this.
ANYONE HAVE ANY INPUT RE; THE CANADA HEALTH ACT AND WHAT'S HAPPENING ?? Love to hear input and discussion because I think it's time I wrote the Province again and asked for their reply.

You are probably going to end up banging your head against the wall in trying to win your argument with CCSVI and it's use as a treatment for MS.

While Zamboni's initial work has opened the door for research in this area, it is still a long way before the procedure is a recognized treatment for MS. That is going to take a lot more research which is starting to be done. The other half of the battle is the established world of MS medicine. They are and already have been fighting this theory in order to protect their establishment.

If I may suggest you try and have the treatment done to improve the circulation in your vascular system without any mention of MS. Poor circulation is a recognized medical problem. I'm not sure how the BC medical authorities would react to this approach but I think it may be worth a shot. Please let us know how things go if you take this route.

Harry

"Reading the Act it states that all Canadians (my apologies to our friends south of the 49th) have the right for reasonable access to treatment for a recognized medical problem."

welshman, would you mind quoting chapter and verse because I can't find any such statement in the act.

_________________
Carpe Diem

Hi Oreo, reading the Act itself is pretty much like Shakespeare, however if you go to Government of Canada, The Canada Health Act, Overview & Options -

dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/CIR/944-e.htm

or

www.mapleleafweb.com/features/canada-he ... nistration

these two sites "breakdown" the Act into understandable info.
Also on -

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/medi-assur/cha- ... ex-eng.php

they give the primary objective of the Act as:

"to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being
of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers".

The lack of support by Provincial Governments (who are the Administrators of the health system) to providing testing for a recognized condition (CCSVI) and then subsequent treatment of that condition by a medical practitioner, appears to contravene the Canada Health Act.

Please note, I DID NOT REFER TO TREATING MS.

Any additional input, anybody ??

PS: Harry, yes the head is already hurting
We have already booked my wife for treatment, but I still believe we need to fight the way this potential breakthrough in treatment has been handled here in Canada by the Federal Government, The Provincial Governments, the MS Society of Canada, the Colleges of Physicians & Surgeons, and now by the CIHR - see topic in TiMS re the Report from them and MSSC (and where does the MS Society have the right to be involved in medical decisions - they're a non-medical support group for MS sufferers but have morphed themselves into experts on the venous system )

I saw on the Global News this evening a story about the established MS medical world and Canadian MS Society deciding that they would not fund CCSVI research in Canada at this time. No surprise here at all.

The committee did say that they would wait until results from current studies before making any further decisions. The head of the MS Society made his typical politically correct statement by saying the society, while realizing how important speed was in trying to come up with treatments, agreed with the medical people's decision.

Like many know, I have followed MS research for 45 years now and have seen this kind of news release many times. It didn't surprise me one bit. The only research that ever gets unanimous approval is the work done by the pharmaceutical companie$. The MS medical world u$ually benefit$ from this kind of $upport.

Some things never change.

Harry