The Conservative government clearly signaled today they have absolutely no intention of ensuring Canada has a secure long-term supply of medical isotopes, Natural Resources Critic Geoff Regan said Wednesday.
“The Harper government’s decision to ignore its own expert review panel on medical isotopes is a slap in the face to thousands of cancer victims suffering from growing isotope shortages,” Mr. Regan said. “Instead of heeding the panel’s key recommendation for a much-needed multi-use reactor to replace the aging reactor in Chalk River, they’ve just walked away – causing a prolonged global isotope crisis.”
Four months after receiving the expert panel report’s recommendations regarding the isotope crisis, the Conservatives responded today by announcing their plan to:
• Get out of the business of producing nuclear medical isotopes within six years;
• Not replace the multi-use reactor at Chalk River that produced 30 percent of the world’s nuclear medical isotope supply before it was shut down;
• Leave it to the private sector to take over the MAPLE reactors, which they acknowledge as being a viable option for isotope production.
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., meanwhile, announced yet another delay in the resumed production of isotopes. After a full year of altering its deadlines for repair of the reactor, AECL said yesterday production won’t resume for yet another month until possibly the end of July.
“The Conservatives have wasted valuable time on denying a crisis recently described as a life and death situation by leading nuclear medicine experts,” said Mr. Regan. “The government is trying to hide what they’re doing with clever talking points, but Canadians now know their true intentions.”
“This government is so intent on privatizing AECL and the production of isotopes that they are ignoring the chair of their own expert panel who told a Parliamentary committee yesterday that they need to act expeditiously to replace the reactor,” Mr. Regan concluded. “Sadly, the Harper government has decided to absolutely nothing to protect the health of Canadians who are threatened by this crisis.”
