December 16th, 2015

Long-overdue PET scanner commitment is a victory for Northeastern Ontario: NDP

Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre and ONDP Leader, issued the following statement:

“The announcement of operational funding for a PET scanner is good news for the people of Northeastern Ontario. More than six years after Sam Bruno’s family began their campaign, the Liberal government has finally acknowledged that patients in the North East should be able to access a PET scanner without being forced to travel to Toronto. The government’s support for a PET scanner in Sudbury is a long-overdue victory for Northeastern Ontario.

“I would like to congratulate the Sam Bruno PET Scanner team for their tireless hard work on this issue. They have collected signatures from over 30,000 Northerners, and raised almost a million dollars with their annual gala and other fundraising initiatives over the last five years. This is a perfect example of what citizens can accomplish by working together.

“I’d also like to thank Nickel Belt MPP and our ONDP Health Critic France Gélinas who has championed this issue since the beginning. Not only by repeatedly asking the last three Ministers of Health questions on the topic, but also bringing forward solutions from activists and academics from across the province. Last month, the Health Minister finally stated we’d hear something by Christmas. I’m very pleased the Minister listened to the voices of the people of the North East and did the right thing.”