Government's lost priority
By DR. EDWIN KLIMEK, SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD-St Catharines
Feb 10 2011
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2974137

I 'd like to begin by extracting and focusing an example of just one
disorder from the myriad of disorders that we deal with on a daily
basis. There are, give or take, 181,000 Ontarians with Alzheimer's
disease, a brain disease, or some related dementia in this province.

The Alzheimer Society says that in about 10 years that problem will
grow by 40%. That's a fact.

There are about 230 full-time neurologists in this province. That's
determined by the economists -- that may or may not be a fact, but
they are the number of people who are working as adult neurologists.
If we assume that they're all clinically active and they all see
adults and we ask all of them to attend patients with Alzheimer's
disease --this one single disorder -- there will be none left over.

It is clear to neurologists struggling with this problem that we are
well into a societal change and a health care crisis. Three years ago,
we shared these concerns with the government and within the Ontario
Medical Association. We asked for investment, leadership and
assistance in dealing with it. Indeed, in previous negotiations,
government negotiated fees for neurological services because they are
recognized as being inadequate. The problem is, of course, that
support for services was approved but never funded in hospitals and
clinics across the province. It is clear that there is a loss of
essential technical services and dwindling capacity in this province.

My society has exhausted all existing administrative processes.

Our concerns are firmly lodged somewhere in the fog of forgotten
processes and committee minutes. Patients are, tragically, much less
fortunate. According to recent press articles, they're lost in the
snow banks of Toronto. My heart goes out to that family and that
husband.

Respectfully, to the committee, to the Minister of Finance and the
Minister of Health -- this is not one ministry's problem -- the
capacity to care for neurological disorders is our priority for our
patients and it must also be for government.

Government must help us to improve care within the existing structure,
or the existing structure must change and evolve. Government at the
highest levels is clearly aware of this problem and it must assume
liability for untoward outcome of diminished capacity to care for
these disorders in this province.

This is alarming, and there are some options for government. I'm a
simple man. I'm a neurologist. I'm not an economist; I'm not a
politician. Government has three broad options to consider.

Government can demonstrate leadership. It can direct; it can inspire.

It can also establish targeted programs. Neurologic diseases and
disorders must be a government program, not a lost priority.

Dr. Edwin Klimek is president of the Association of Ontario
Neurologists. This is a Hansard excerpt of a presentation he gave to
the Ontario government's Standing Committee on Finance and Economic
Affairs in London on Jan. 24. 

E. Klimek  MD  FRCPC
 

AON Position on CCSVI or Liberation Therapy for MS
_______________________

The Association of Ontario Neurologists (AON) views with compassion and concern the plight of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and shares their frustration that the understanding and treatment of this disease still presents so many challenges. For these reasons, we strongly encourage immediate research into Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) and the clarification of the findings presented to the public in April 2010,
to determine whether it exists in MS, and if so the most appropriate treatment. Clearly to do less risks either depriving patients of a beneficial treatment, or subjecting them to unnecessary riskfrom an observation prematurely heralded as a cure.

The AON considers liberation therapy presented to the public in April 2010 to be an unproven and completely novel approach to MS therapy. If proven, it is desperately needed and a step forward. Until then the AON recommends that our members and their patients consider "liberation therapy" of the veins for MS to be a procedure with uncertain benefits, as a definitive relationship has not been proven between CCSVI and MS. The AON advises against its use outside of carefully conducted trials.

E Klimek
On behalf of the Association of Ontario Neurologists

http://www.aoneuro.on.ca/

A MESSAGE FROM THE Past-PRESIDENT OF THE AON

Thank you for visiting our website. It is hoped that,in time, this medium will be used to inform the public of the concerns of neurologists in the Province of Ontario and to act as an advocacy resource for neurology. If you are a patient or the relative of a patient with neurologic disease, you already know of all the frustrations that both you and your health care providers experience on a daily basis in obtaining services. We wish to correct this.

The Association of Ontario Neurologists (AON) intends to play a pivotal role in advocating for better services for our patients. We would like to see a strong community based presence of neurologists across the province while at the same time we support a strong academic and research base in the teaching hospitals. We are also committed to encouraging better imaging, physiotherapy, speech therapy and electrophysiological services(EEG,EMG etc) as well as clinics in community settings.

This will take time and patience and we will look to you ,our patients, for as much support as we can muster to help encourage these developments. We will shortly be contacting all patient support groups related to neurologic diseases to join us in a powerful and effective alliance to start the process.

At the same time, we welcome your feedback both from the point of view of the quality of services as you see it and also your suggestions for improving the content of this website.

Sincerely,

Ed Klimek MD
AON President

ITEMS OF INTEREST

In search of Health Care Sustainabability.CMA Document
(PDF)
Crisis in Care for Patients with Neurological Diseases
Neurologists Speak Out 2008
 

AON DONATES 4 Neurology Toolkits at $250.00(US) each to African Neurologists

_____________________________________________________

FITNESS TO DRIVE:
Excerpts from the Canadian Medical Association Guidelines
1. Table of Contents
2. Physician Guide
3. Fitness to Drive and Nervous System Diseases
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to read these documents. Go to Adobe Acrobat Reader if you do not have it installed))

Requirement for  Ontario Doctors to Report Patients With Certain Medical Conditions to the Ontario Ministry of Transport
Nov 7 2002
 
Patients and their families sometimes have difficulty understanding the Ontario Government’s requirement that all doctors practising in Ontario  must report to the Ministry of Transportation any patients whose  condition might possibly present a hazard for operating a motor vehicle.  This relates to a long list of conditions such as blackouts, dizzy spells, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, narcolepsy, visual impairment and so on.
Click HERE to continue

Partner in the:
Canadian Health Network
Réseau canadien de la santé
and
Healthy Ontario.com

       Neurology Tests
The Neurologic Examination
Lumbar Puncture
EEG(Electroencephalography)
EMG and Nerve Conduction

Other Links for Important Neurology Information:

emedicine Link
NINDS Info Site

Dementia
ALZHEIMER ASSOCIATION

Fronto-Temporal Dementias Important WebSite Links
ALS

National Institute of Neurologic Disease and  Stroke (NINDS)
  

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