Vitalité says Moncton's DNA equipment could serve Saint John cancer patients
Publicly-funded, accredited machines can do 13,000 tests per year, already doing some for Horizon
The Vitalité Health Network says its cancer testing service is growing, and its biggest client this calendar year will be the Horizon Health Network.
"We've got two sequencers inside the laboratory at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in a clinical environment," said Foulem, who was asked by CBC News to address some of the capacity claims made by Health Minister Victor Boudreau in recent days.
Foulem says the sequencers are accredited by the Ontario Laboratories Association, capable to performing about 13,000 tests per year and are publicly funded at an operating cost of $700,000 per year.
Boudreau has blocked the Saint John Regional Hospital from accepting about $1 million worth of similar sequencing machines because he says the province can't afford to operate two centres.
He intervened on March 31, long after the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation took the cause to its donors and raised the money.
"We're talking about DNA samples, specimens being sent to a lab," Boudreau said last Friday. "This isn't saying Saint Johners have to drive to Moncton for a service."
Saint John hospital sends all tests outside N.B.
The Saint John Regional Hospital currently sends all cancer tissues out of province for DNA analysis, leaving some patients to wait several weeks for results.
Vitalité says its turnaround time ranges from 24 to 72 hours.
When CBC New submitted questions about where the Regional Hospital sends its tests and at what cost to taxpayers, Horizon responded by issuing a statement.
"Positive and productive discussions between the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation and The Hon. Victor Boudreau, Minister of Health are continuing in good faith," it said.
"We respect the Foundation's decision not to discuss this situation until all parties have had an opportunity to fully review the information and we will not comment publicly at this time."
Former health minister Ted Flemming said last week that he approved the plan in 2014 to purchase sequencing machines in Saint John because Moncton's research lab was private and not accredited to do clinical work.
Vitalité says two machines do fall within the public system and are approved to do analysis for patients. Two other machines in the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre building are run by the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.
"We do have that partnership with the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute where if our staff at the hospital would want to consult on more complex tests, for them, it's an easy process to walk 200 feet to the ACRI office to talk to our research staff over there," said Foulem.
Public relations fiasco
Michael Murphy, who served in the Liberal cabinet as health minister from 2006 until 2009, says Boudreau's decision to block the hospital foundation has created a toxic environment for Liberals in Saint John.
He says New Brunswick's health-care system has a lot of overcapacity, but he says important services must be spread around.
Murphy predicts the government will reverse its decision.
"Mr. Gallant has some very key backers here in the city that are, for lack of a better term, Liberal power brokers, and I think that they're going to get through to him," said Murphy.
Murphy lost to Gallant in the 2012 Liberal leadership race. Murphy is a Moncton-based lawyer.
Some political observers say Boudreau has created a public relations fiasco.
Michael Camp, a journalism professor, says Boudreau's reasoning may be sound, but it comes too late.
"Going forward, he has to keep an eye on both these health-care authorities, and doctors, and departments within them to make sure nobody is empire-building, or trying to get more resources than are really necessary because we have to use the money we've got in the best and most efficient way," said Camp.
"And for that reason, I think some people understand what Boudreau is saying. They just can't understand how it got this far, without a correction."