WATCH: A New Brunswick couple is worried test results done by the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute are being delayed because of a jurisdictional dispute. Global’s Laura Brown reports.
MONCTON – The Atlantic Cancer Research Institute’s genetic testing equipment has remained operational despite the province’s decision to allow Saint John to purchase the same equipment.
The Institute announced it was suspending its genetic testing equipment at noon on June 18 because of the province’s decision to allow the Saint John Regional Hospital to go ahead with opening a genetic sequencing lab of their own.
At the time, Dr. Rodney Ouellette of the ACRI said if there are two centres in the province, N.B. taxpayers will be paying the highest cost per test in the country.
READ MORE: SJ hospital approved for DNA equipment while cancer centre suspends testing
“I’ve said this many, many times and I think that we can get better value if we have one centre so we will bow out,” Ouellette told Global News on June 18.
But the Institute confirmed to Global News Monday that it was business as usual for the equipment until further notice, for the sake of their patients.
Health Minister Victor Boudreau says he’s spoken to Dr. Ouellette and that the machines will continue to operate until Saint John’s machines are up and running.
“A decision has been made,” Boudreau said. “I can’t speak to the institute’s decision to close their lab, that’s a question that has to be put to them.”
“We will now work with Saint John to allow its foundation to go ahead and purchase the equipment that it wanted to purchase.”
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