Thank you, Madam Chair.
My thanks to Mr. Brown for introducing this bill and for tabling it in the House. Thanks also to all the witnesses who have given us additional information. I learned a lot as I listened to them.
This bill is a good step forward. It allows us to talk and to get more information. In light of the testimony we have heard today, I wonder whether the federal government should not go a little further and not just target people with dense breast tissue.
Not all provinces have systematic diagnostic programs in place. Basically, that limits screening. We also hear a lot about access to diagnostic tests, be they mammograms or other less common tests. Often access to tests like mammograms or X-rays is inconsistent because some tests are done outside hospitals. So women do not necessarily have the means to get access within a reasonable time. We know how important an early diagnosis is in providing greater chances of survival.
I know that people with dense breast tissue have five to six times more chances of dying, or of drastic consequences. But shouldn't our strategy be broader? Shouldn't we be providing more information, in fact, and providing better access to doctors and to diagnostic tests? My question goes to Ms. Ammendolea, since she was the one who first brought it up, and to Dr. Ureten. Mr. Brown can answer too.
Without changing the basic nature of the bill, we could perhaps broaden it in order to provide a better outcome for more women.