First step

It’s safe to say most district families, at some point, have had to travel to Thunder Bay or Winnipeg to access medical services not offered locally.
But while such services typically are top-notch, and travel expenses generally covered by the provincial government, having to drive three-and-a-half hours each way is an inconvenience, especially during the winter months and for those who may not own a vehicle.
And the problem isn’t limited to this side of the border. International Falls area residents similarly face long drives to access medical treatment in a variety of cases.
With that in mind, Fort Frances Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft and Falls Coun. Cynthia Jacksa worked together to organize a conference dubbed “Medical NAFTA,” held last Thursday morning at La Place Rendez-Vous here, to examine the possibility of Borderland residents accessing cross-border medical services.
It certainly makes far more sense than having Falls’ residents travel for hours for renal dialysis treatment when a unit is housed at La Verendrye Hospital here, or seeing district residents head off for an MRI when one is located just across the river.
What may seem like a no-brainer on paper, however, is not so simple in real life. There are legitimate questions and hurdles to deal with, which those attending last week’s “Medical NAFTA” readily acknowledged.
But rather than give up in the face of all the reasons why such a proposal won’t work, Couns. Wiedenhoeft and Jacksa persevered—with a concrete outcome of Thursday’s meeting being the creation of a task force to devise a pilot project for renal dialysis treatment.
It is just a first step, to be sure, but you have to start somewhere. And that’s far better than not trying at all.