Dear Editor:

Thank you for the story about the woman with MS (Family seeks hope in Mexican hospital, Burnaby NOW, July 10) seeking treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) in Mexico - more publicity is needed to show the unfairness/discrimination of B.C. and Canadian health authorities.

The treatment for blocked veins is available in Canada - just not for people with a diagnosis of MS. Even though one of the principles of the Canada Health Act is universality. The act says: "The provincial and territorial plans must entitle all insured persons to health insurance coverage on uniform terms and conditions."

People with MS are not allowed to receive this venoplasty/angioplasty that is used on others (such as heart and kidney dialysis patients) every day. Why?

Please try to find out for me - I don't understand, and I have been asking everybody I can think of. Nobody will admit to foot-dragging because it would affect the bottom line for neurologists who will lose patients and pharmaceutical companies who won't be raking in huge profits for basically ineffective drugs.

They keep trying to call it "experimental," but it has been performed in Canada safely for more than 30 years. When they say it's because it's not usually done in the jugular veins, I think of all the dialysis patients whose jugular veins have become blocked because of repetitive use. How would they feel if they were told they couldn't have this procedure done? But they can. I wonder if they could receive it if they also had MS?

The small amount of money put forward by the MS societies of Canada and the U.S. for trials ($2.4 million combined) is only being used to see if CCSVI is more common in people with MS. It shouldn't matter if CCSVI is related to MS or not. CCSVI is a condition recognized by the International Union of Phlebology, of which Canada is a member, and according to the Handbook of Angioplasty and Stenting Procedures, 303 Techniques in Interventional Radiology, "any symptomatic venous narrowing can be considered an indication for venoplasty and venous stenting." It doesn't say "except for people with MS."

Lori Batchelor, Burnaby