FIREARMS FACTS - UPDATE

CANADIANS NEEDED AND WANTED MRIs. THE LIBERALS GAVE THEM A USELESS GUN REGISTRY!

Updated: November 1, 2002

CURRENT NUMBER OF MRIs IN CANADA = 110

The National Research Council advises that according to the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment ( WWW.CCOHTA.CA ) (March 2002), Canada has a total of 110 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) systems.

The distribution of MRIs is as follows: Ontario-44, Quebec-23, Alberta-18, British Columbia-11, New Brunswick-5, Manitoba-3, Saskatchewan-3, Nova Scotia-2, Newfoundland-1, Prince Edward Island-0, Northwest Territories-0, Yukon-0, Nunavut-0.

HOW DOES CANADA COMPARE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD FOR MRIs?

Canada:                        2.5 MRIs per million population (2000)

United States:              8.1 MRIs per million population (1999)

OECD Average:           4.2 MRIs per million population (1998)

Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Health Data 2002 report:

For Canadians to have the service of the same number of MRIs as United States citizens had in 1998 Canada would have to have 254 MRIs (Based on Canada’s current population of 31.4 million – Statistics Canada July 2002 estimates).

HOW MUCH DOES AN MRI COST IN CANADIAN DOLLARS?

Capital Costs:            $2.5 million

Installation Costs:      0.8 million

Operating Costs:        0.9 million (staff and maintenance)

TOTAL COSTS:         $4.2 million

Source: “Can hospital afford gov’t gift of $2.5m MRI?” The Vancouver Province, September 21, 2000, Page A16.

HOW MANY MRIs COULD WE HAVE BOUGHT, INSTALLED AND OPERATED FOR ONE YEAR WITH THE $803 MILLION THE LIBERALS HAVE WASTED ON THE GUN REGISTRY IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS?

Cost to purchase and install one MRI                                              = $4.2 million

Amount wasted on the gun registry as of March 31, 2003            = $875 million

$875 million @  $4.2 million/MRI                                                  = 208 MRIs

HOW LONG DO CANADIANS HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN MRI EXAMINATION?

In 1999, the average waiting time for a MRI scan in Canada was 3 months.

Source: The Fraser Institute, “Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada – 2000”

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD SAVE MORE LIVES?

1.     SPENDING A BILLION DOLLARS TO BUY, INSTALL AND OPERATE 238 MRIs?

2.    SPENDING A BILLION DOLLARS ON A DUCK & DEER GUN REGISTRY?