"This year there was a health story that became very political -- what's
called liberation therapy, a controversial treatment that some

Canadians with multiple sclerosis have undergone. It was developed by

an Italian doctor and the medical community is divided over whether his

theory -- that blocked veins in the neck are related to MS symptoms --

is correct and whether the procedure to unblock the veins is safe.

Liberation therapy isn't approved in Canada, so patients are travelling

abroad for it, to the United States, Costa Rica and other countries.

Some patients are demanding that it be available here and they have been very vocal and understandably passionate about it.

We saw demonstrations here on Parliament Hill for example, petitions
given to MPs asking for their help, and the issue dominated the annual

meeting between federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq and provincial

ministers. Some governments are going ahead with clinical trials and

the federal government is funding research into liberation therapy and

the theory behind it.

Some time next year a decision will be made on whether to launch nationwide clinical trials.

This story will continue to develop in 2011 and I'll be watching it closely.