In my opinion, there is a will to provide assistance at EDC. When a hospital purchases products, an insurance program can guarantee the payment. In general, hospitals often pay for their purchases, 8, 9, 10 or 12 months later. However, the EDC program lasts six months. So it is not a useful program for us. We don't even meet the insurance program criteria.
EDC wanted to adapt this program to our situation. The EDC people are not only dynamic, but they are also aware of our reality. They offered to make the program more flexible, one we would not have had access to because of our circumstances; the reality being that hospitals do not pay within 30 days.
The other program is the Export Guarantee Program. The person we met with took the time to discuss things with us. She went to meet with someone at my bank and a meeting took place there. There were discussions and things were firmed up rapidly within a one-month period. All of that happened quickly and in a dynamic manner.
The same thing applies to the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service. To date we have had good communication with the team based in Montreal and with Ms. Héloïse Côté, who is an energetic and professional individual. The key to having a good trade commissioner is to talk to that person. Ms. Côté is a part of my team and I communicate with her on a regular basis. In that way she can put us in contact with the right people in other countries and organize meetings with good goals. I have to date dealt with exceptional people at the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.