WireService.ca Press Release - 16 August 2012

Dr. Anna Reid
President, CMA

Dear Dr. Reid,

We welcome your views on the role of doctors in the healthcare system as reported in the Globe and Mail on Thursday, 16 August 2012.

We hope that you can make changes during your tenure as President of CMA. However, most Canadians with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have heard similar views expressed and nothing has changed. CCSVI Ontario and many other advocates and advocacy groups have communicated with the CMA and other associations representing physicians all to no avail. The past president of CMA, Dr. John Haggie, involved CMA in a political discussion on a House of Commons Private Member’s Bill, C-280, proposed by Kirsty Duncan and effectly, on behalf of CMA’s 76,000 members, killed a bill that held a great deal of promise for Canadians with MS including involving patients in developing a national strategy for Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI).

We believe that patients and families should be the focus of healthcare. Unfortunately, many of us know from personal experience that patient oriented care is absolutely not the norm in Canada. We agree with you that this “corporate culture” needs to change. We know, however, that physicians have to want to change the way they view patients and the way they deal with them. We have not seen much evidence that there is a will among many of your 76,000 members to commit to such a corporate culture change. We hope you can convince them to re-consider. We also hope you can convince them not to ostracize doctors who want change.

Yes, we are cynical. Yes, we feel marginalized. Yes, many of us have lost our faith and trust in the medical community. Yes, we believe change will not be realized. Yes, we hope you can prove us wrong.

Sincerely,

Linda Hume-Sastre
President, CCSVI Ontario

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