Madam Chair, I am not trying to minimize the problems we face in the very short term. I agree that we have issues in supply. I do believe, however, it wouldn't be responsible to not look at resolving the medium term as well, and I believe this is one way of addressing that.
In terms of addressing the short term, I believe the conversations yesterday, as I mentioned, between the producers are leading to international collaborations. There is approval for molybdenum from Australia. Their program is ramping up, and they will soon become a significant supplier to the Canadian market. I do know that there are conversations with NTP on expanding their submission of medical isotopes to those suppliers of the Canadian market. I believe those are very important initiatives that will ensure that they will be an element of short-term reaction.
The toolkit that we put out from the working group is I think an important guide to hospitals. Where it is possible--for example, this has happened in B.C. and Alberta, where I have my clinical base and where I see my patients--we have worked out mechanisms to ensure sharing, to ensure that the central radiopharmacy can, for example, make available spent generators to sites that don't need such large volumes of molybdenum.
I believe we have opportunities to learn from what we've done in Alberta and to offer suggestions to the other provinces. We certainly have opportunities in Alberta. I would be grateful to hear...and I have already spoken to some of my colleagues in Ontario on how they've been dealing with it.
I'm not minimizing the short term. I'm not minimizing the need for our patients now. What I am saying is that if we don't start addressing the medium term now, then in 18 months, when I come back and see you, you'll be asking me the same question. I would like to be able to say that we started those activities now.