Mr. Speaker, one-third of all hospital patients in this country rely on nuclear medicine.
In January, senior officials warned the minister that disease trends, the health needs of our aging population and the lack of effective alternatives will drive up the future demand for medical isotopes. Conservatives refused to convene an international panel to reassess the MAPLEs reactors, even though they renewed the MAPLEs' licence in 2007 because they do produce isotopes.
In fact, some experts believe options exist that could see the MAPLEs on line in as little as two months. Why not?