June 26, 1998
SUFFERERS DEMAND KLEIN FUND NEW DRUG THERAPIES
"I do not understand why Ralph Klein is sitting there in his comfy office and refusing," Kherha, 33, said to a rally on the Legislature steps. Once an athletics masters student looking forward to a career in social work, Kherha was swiftly debilitated by the baffling disease after being diagnosed in 1987. Now she hopes the provincial government will place four expensive drugs approved in other provinces on Alberta's list of funded treatments. The new drugs were looked at in the spring by the medical panel that approves drugs and its decision was to study further, Alberta Health spokesman Garth Norris said. "It would be inappropriate for the minister to interfere in that process," he said of Halvar Jonson. The panel continues to study the drugs and could approve them in the fall or earlier if it's deemed necessary, Norris said. "MS can't wait, we want these drugs now," said Linda Villeneuve, who organized the rally along with Calgary Liberal MLA Gary Dickson, busing up about 40 of the 60 participants from southern Alberta. Only a few hundred of Alberta's 4,000 sufferers would benefit from the drugs, which cost between $12,000 and $24,000 a year, Villeneuve said. Both Liberal Leader Nancy MacBeth and New Democrat Leader Pam Barrett addressed the rally as well. Next Story: FROM THE LEGISLATURE Previous Story: BOAT OWNER HURT BACK ON DAY MAN WENT OVERBOARD
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