This week, Saskatchewan announced it is going to fund clinical trials of a new procedure that could offer hope to people with multiple sclerosis, but it appears Alberta MS patients will have to wait.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall told media Tuesday he wanted Saskatchewan to be the first to help pay for clinical trials into the controversial treatment.
Wall also said he hoped other provinces would join Saskatchewan in funding studies. But it appears, Alberta is not quite there.
Alberta Health and Wellness will only acknowledge that it is an emotional subject.
"People look at this liberation treatment with a lot of hope, a lot of optimism and while we appreciate that and understand that we also have to have some due diligence," said Andy Weiler with Alberta Health and Wellness.
It was a year-and-a-half ago when 29-year-old Thomas Deering was diagnosed with MS. His career as an electrician appears to be over as his hands are now numb.
"I look like I'm fine but I'm not. You can press down as hard as you want, like press down, I do not feel that," he said.
He says he has received a lot of support from family members but has temporarily lost his eye sight and often feels fatigued.
"There are days I don't even want to get out of bed, like I'll spend two, three days in bed. It's very frustrating, the only word that comes to mind is frustrating."
But Deering says he remains hopeful at this point.
"Before I die, for sure, I believe there will be a cure."
Italian researcher Dr. Paolo Zamboni claims many MS patients have narrow veins. He developed a procedure similar to angioplasty to improve blood flow to the brain.
Deering says he is excited about Saskatchewan's announcement except it'll be some time before treatment occurs.
The MS Society of Canada feels other provinces should step up just as Saskatchewan has.
"Our hope is that it won't only be Saskatchewan but somewhere down the road it'll be Alberta and indeed all provinces collaborating to offer clinical trials all across the country," said Darrel Gregory with the MS Society of Canada.
Critics also feel the province could help Albertans suffering from MS by funding clinical trials of the experimental treatment.
NDP leader Brian Mason says he has written to Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky urging him to follow the lead of Saskatchewan and support the clinical trials.
And with no doctors widely offering the procedure in country, many Canadian MS patients have been opted to travel overseas to find clinics willing to provide the treatment, but with the cost running in the tens of thousands of dollars.
With files from Susan Amerongen and CTV.ca News Staff
