I am contacting you to pass on my frustration with my MLA in the Red Deer South constituency. About a month ago I contacted her office to try to arrange a meeting with her regarding a concern I am having on behalf of my daughter who is an MS sufferer. She has been accepted for stem cell treatment to, if not cure the MS, then at least stop the progression. As this treatment is still considered experimental in Canada, the family and friends are funding the treatment to the tune of $75,000. We now find out that she will require some follow up drugs at the cost of $4000 a treatment for a year adding up to $16,000, which we find out is not approved for MS but is approved and funded for cancer and arthritis patients. In an effort to help my daughter, I contacted Barb Millers’ office to see why this drug isn’t covered for MS patients, but was informed by one of her staff, that I could not speak to her directly, as she was very busy, but only through him. I wasn’t happy about this as I believed that I could explain it to her directly rather than second hand. Well, I was right to be concerned, as here it is almost a month later and I have had no response from her office I have called the office quite a few times but keep getting the same answer, “we’ve had no reply from AHS”. On Friday I was promised a call back before the end of the day, but as of today, Monday afternoon, still no contact.
I have come to the conclusion that Ms. Miller hopes that if she ignores the issue it will go away and that will solve the problem. I am wondering what a taxpayer and voter has to do, to at least get their Provincial Representative to respond to their concerns.
George Croome, Red Deer