Last week I visited CancerCare at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg as part of an announcement of $4 million in additional funding to support the provision of intravenous cancer drugs for patients across the province. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Manitoba and every year, cancer steals mothers from their children, husbands from their wives, and friends from one another. By continuing to increase our investments in cancer drugs, we help fight this terrible disease and support health-care providers working to keep our loved ones with us longer.
The additional funding ensures medical professionals have the funds they need to provide the latest treatments to fight cancer. Our government is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure the long-term affordability of cancer drugs, to strengthen our system and to improve the accessibility both across our country and here at home. We are very fortunate that Manitobans with cancer are able to receive the treatment they need, whether at CancerCare, at regional cancer hubs or in their own home.
As part of the announcement I had the opportunity to visit with many of the staff at CancerCare.
We are blessed to have incredible healthcare professionals in Manitoba who help our many friends and family members in their fight against cancer. We truly appreciate the compassion, empathy, respect and professionalism you show our loved ones when they need it the most.
In addition, this past Monday I visited the University of Manitoba to announce $1.1 million to help fund Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie’s research on multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Marrie is the Waugh Family Chair in Multiple Sclerosis and is a professor in internal medicine at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
MS affects the central nervous system by blocking signals from the brain, leading to weakness and disability Together with millions in private funding, this investment will support research into improving the lives of those living with MS and continue the work that is needed to move towards a cure of this disease which impacts so many Canadians, often early in their lives.
MS is a terrible disease that affects over 3,500 Manitobans and Dr. Marrie will research the impacts of reducing diabetes, heart disease, and depression on those living MS. I wish Dr. Marrie all the success possible in her continuing research.
These investments are important to providing treatment to those living with disease today, as well as offering hope that others will not have to in the future. They also demonstrate the importance of working together in partnership for the health and future of our province.
