Debates of June 3rd, 2009

John McKay Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

With respect to access and compensation for medically necessary drugs and treatments that are not covered by provincial drug programs due to the fact that they are not approved by Health Canada: (a) what action has Health Canada taken to ensure that any drugs or medication that have been approved for treatment of a specific illness in one province are then approved for treatment in the rest of the provinces; (b) what steps has Health Canada taken to ensure that those who had to independently pay for their own medically necessary medication as a result of the drug being used off label, or the result of the drug not having been approved by Health Canada for use in general or in a particular illness, or are used in an unconventional manner and are therefore not qualifying for conventional insurance regulations are then compensated for these costs, or have the treatment subsidized in some manner; (c) for Canadians suffering from rare medical conditions, what steps is Health Canada taking to ensure that (i) research in treatment for these conditions is being pursued, (ii) orphan drugs that have been developed and proven to be effective are being actively manufactured, (iii) drugs that have been developed are being actively approved by Health Canada, (iv) legislation is being introduced to guarantee the continuation of these practices; and (d) has Health Canada or the government investigated the creation of a National Drug Program or plan which would allow equal access to medications for all Canadians, regardless of the province that they reside in?

Tom Lukiwski Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Mr. Speaker, lastly, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Is that agreed?

Tom Lukiwski Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Is that agreed?

The Speaker Peter Milliken

It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for St. Paul's, Narcotic Drug Control; the hon. member Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, Transport; the hon. member for Edmonton—Strathcona, the Environment.

Jim Karygiannis Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Mr. Speaker, as the House is aware, Tamil Canadians are on Parliament Hill today calling upon the Government of Canada to act in order to help innocent civilians in the recent conflict in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka today, we have people who are residing in refugee camps with little or no medical assistance, little or no clean drinking water, and little or no food. We hear reports of mass graves and over 20,000 people missing. We hear reports of women being raped in these camps, children being separated from their parents, and men being segregated from their wives.

While the government has allocated a pittance for the humanitarian assistance, it has done nothing to further pursue the intervention of the international community to ensure an end to this human suffering. The Government of Canada has done nothing to ensure that the United Nations has access to the refugee camps by humanitarian organizations and independent international journalists. This government also has not worked with the international community to ensure that a permanent solution is found and instituted in order to prevent further bloodshed in Sri Lanka.

Canada is home to one of the largest Sri Lankan diasporas and they are looking to their government and members of Parliament to help provide a solution to their violence-plagued homeland.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am asking you to permit an emergency debate on this very important issue. If we allow this destruction to continue, it has the possibility of becoming one of the greatest tragedies of our century.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

The chair has a similar request from the hon. members for Don Valley West, Beaches--East York, Etobicoke North, Scarborough Centre and York South--Weston.

If any of the other hon. members wish to make submissions on this point dealing with other aspects for the argument that were advanced by the hon. member for Scarborough--Agincourt, I would be pleased to hear them now.

The hon. member for Scarborough Centre.

John Cannis Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. I want to request through this debate, if it is so accorded to us, to press, through the United Nations, to ensure that an individual is appointed, to get him or her in there with the authority to look at the situation, and bring back some findings, and also to press upon the UN to take the leadership role for which it was designed.