Serious shortage of radiotherapy equipment in Canada:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A shortage of medical equipment and doctors in Quebec may force the Canadian government to send 280 patients to the US for cancer treatment. According to the British Medical Journal (June 5), around 1,200 patients are waiting for radiotherapy, some for as long as five months. Dr Carolyn Freeman, director of radiation oncology at McGill University, says the government needs to invest around Can$30 million ($20 million) in new equipment, including four new linear accelerators at a cost of Can$2.5 million each.