To the editor,
There have been hundreds Canadians who have been diagnosed with an abnormal condition called CCSVI, in their neck, which is basically a narrowing of the veins. This abnormal condition impedes the blood flow from the brain to the heart and is not a healthy situation under any circumstances. Treatment for this condition is a simple angioplasty and in some cases a stent must be inserted. This treatment has been government approved, and performed successfully in Canada, by vascular surgeons, since the 1980s and would be covered under current provincial health care systems, for most people.
Unfortunately there are those whom the government(s) wish to exclude because they also have a condition, commonly known as MS. Treatment for CCSVI, cannot be authorized for those with MS. The news media is constantly referring to the treatment as a ‘Controversial Treatment for MS.’ It may be a ‘controversial treatment for MS,’ but not for CCSVI. Those with CCSVI, wish to have only their CCSVI treated based on its own merits. So, where is the controversy?
All that we see here,is a severe case of DISCRIMINATION. Oh Canada, how have you allowed this issue to get so clouded? Certain elected officials of both levels of government did not complete their homework and allowed themselves to be so quickly influenced by a small, biased, ‘narrow - minded’ group of individuals. If one has narrowed veins in the neck, one should have the right to have them treated in Canada by our own qualified vascular surgeons. CCSVI patients are still forced travel outside of Canada, at great personal expense, to seek this simple treatment. This is absolutely disgusting.
Cal Westover
Newmarket, Ont.
