In the wake of the latest shutdown of the nuclear medical reactor at Chalk River, near Ottawa, Canadians have learned two new words: 'isotope' and 'PET scan.'

Before its latest shutdown in May, the Chalk River reactor produced 40 per cent of the global radioactive medical isotope supply, used in bone scans and many other heart and cancer diagnostic tests for 5000 Canadian patients every day. The federal government, who is responsible for the Chalk River reactor, still has no alternative plan in place, despite warning from experts following two previous unscheduled shutdowns.

Without isotopes, these diagnostics tests cannot be performed. Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment is compromised. That's why it's not an exaggeration to call the isotope shortage a national health care crisis. With no alternative plan in place, the federal government has placed thousands of Canadian patients undergoing testing and treatment at risk each day.

The Conservative government has claimed that alternative medical tests can make up for dwindling isotope supplies, but these decades-old techniques are less effective, not widely available, more expensive, and dangerous for child patients. Thallium was abandoned years ago for heart stress testing because the Te99 gave better pictures.

Take the example of PET scans. First of all, they take longer to administer. Where some clinics are able to do 40 or 50 bone scans in a regular working day with isotopes, PET scanners are able to perform a maximum of 12 scans per day.

PET scanners are not readily available across Canada either, particularly in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.

Most alarmingly, PET scanning is also not an option for paediatric cancer testing, because the radiation is too strong for children. For our kids, isotopes are the only option.

The Conservative government has failed to acknowledge the true impact of the shutdown at Chalk River and the gravity of this health care crisis. Once a world leader in isotope production, they have provided no assurances that any additional scarce and expensive foreignproduced isotopes will come to Canada.

Cancer patients urgently require a plan to deal with the shortage and manage the demand for tests. Leadership is required to get us through this crisis - and soon. That's why Liberals recommend the following actions be taken:

1. The government having taken our advice and appointed an 'Isotope Czar' , must now ensure that Dr. McEwen works closely with the Canadian Nuclear Medical Association and be able to give transparent advice to the Minister. Canadians need to have confidence that the dwindling isotope supply is being well-managed while new solutions are being sought.

2. The Health Canada Operations Centre should act as a clearing house through which nuclear medicine clinics can report the demand, supply and alternatives for their region, as well as their capacity to help other regions.

3. A registry of patients requiring testing along with guidelines for prioritizing their need should be established. Most urgent is the need to rec- ognize that for children diagnosed with cancer there is no alternative test. They must go to the front of the line in a system where testing with isotopes is being rationed.

4. As hospitals adapt to providing costlier alternatives, and running longer hours, it must also be recognized that health care costs will rise. The federal government cannot stand idly by and allow our hospitals to be burdened with debt or forced to cut costs in other areas as they struggle to pay higher costs for scarce isotopes and for alternative procedures that cost a great deal more.

5. Finally, we need to act on the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine and the American Academy of Medicine's recommendation to strike an international panel to revisit the feasibility of commissioning the abandoned MAPLE reactors at Chalk River. These facilities safely and successfully produced isotopes in trials before the Conservative government pulled the plug. The isotope shortage makes it imperative that this option be evaluated as soon as possible.

Canadians expect our health care professionals and the government to pull together to ensure patients get the tests and treatment they need in this time of crisis. There is no more appetite for the Conservative government's inaction, misinformation or spin. The federal government must work with the provinces and territories to ensure that Canadians can access medical isotopes so that they can be assured of the best possible care, regardless of where they live in Canada.

Dr. Carolyn Bennett is the Health Critic for the Liberal Opposition and Member of Parliament for St. Paul's, Toronto.