Jack MacLaren, MPP Carleton-Mississippi Mills, ON. In an e-mail message dated Dec. 2nd, 2011 to Jacquie Cosford, Brad McNulty (Director of Communications for Jack MacLaren) stated he, “Spoke with Jack today and Jack intends on signing [Steve Clark's] petition.”
Steve Clark, MPP Leeds-Grenville, ON. On Nov. 23rd, 2011–Mr. Steve Clark, MPP Leeds-Grenville read the following in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Within 24 sitting days of the day on which the presentation of the petition is recorded, the government is required to file a response.
I want to thank the member for Sarnia–Lambton for his advocacy. I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario signed by all corners of Leeds–Grenville. As well, I must say there are also members from Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Kingston who have signed this. It’s a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
“Whereas the tick-borne illness known as chronic Lyme disease, which mimics many catastrophic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s, Alzheimer’s, arthritic diseases, depression, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, is increasingly endemic in Canada, but scientifically validated diagnostic tests and treatment choices are currently not available in Ontario, forcing patients to seek these in the US and Europe; and
“Whereas the Canadian Medical Association informed the public, governments and the medical profession in the May 30, 2000, edition of their professional journal that Lyme disease is endemic throughout Canada, particularly in southern Ontario; and
“Whereas the Ontario public health system and the Ontario health insurance plan currently do not fund those specific tests that accurately serve the process of establishing a clinical diagnosis, but only recognize testing procedures known in the medical literature to provide false negatives at 45% to 95% of the time;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to request the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to direct that the Ontario public health system and OHIP include all currently available and scientifically verified tests for acute and chronic Lyme disease in Ontario and to have everything necessary to create public awareness of Lyme disease in Ontario, and to have internationally developed diagnostic and successful treatment protocols available to patients and physicians.”
I agree with the petition, will sign it and send it to the table with page Laibah.
Premier Dalton McGunity, ON. On Nov. 17th, 2011 in an e-mail message to Josephine Vaccaro-Chang stated that, ”It’s by building on the accomplishments of our last two terms, and by renewing our pledge to provide Ontarians with a strong, stable government, that we’ll give citizens the quality of life they deserve —a high-skills and high-wage economy, access to the finest health care, a clean environment and protected green spaces, and a top-performing education system. I’m confident that, by continuing to work together, we can build an even brighter future for our great province and ensure its long-term success.”
Ontario and Lyme Disease
for several years now the existing government has been ignoring requests from those afflicted with lyme disease to incorporate ilads testing and treatment protocols…..they continue to rely on IDSA guidelines which have been rejected in many US jurisdictions…..the number of Ontarians who are now seeking medical assistance in US is growing…..the Ontario system ignores their symptoms and tells them it must be in their heads….this is not world class medical care……lets either have an internationally recognized group of experts investigate these claims or lets see a tick borne disease clinic with properly training medical professionals be created….for sure…lyme disease is very complex…and without adequate training the average doctor will have no idea….that is expected….but the status quo is failing Ontarians in such and unfair and unjust manner…..incidentallly there is now a cultered bacteria test available for lyme in Pennsylvania….what is the MOH or OHIP doing about investigating that test which is said to be 100% accurate as opposed the totally unreliable 2 tier Elisa system that we are and have been using for years despite its established failings??