Where's the controversy?

There have been hundreds of Canadians who have been diagnosed with an abnormal condition called chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (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 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 known as multiple sclerosis.

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 to travel outside of Canada, at great personal expense, to seek this simple treatment. This is absolutely disgusting. 

Cal Westover

Newmarket, Ont.