December 19, 2007 * Health [to Jan 2010]With the re-opening of the Chalk River nuclear reactor in Ontario, Islanders can soon expect to have the radioisotopes needed for nuclear medicine tests. The Chalk River reactor was closed for repairs in November and remained closed for longer than anticipated, leaving a gap in the supply of radioisotopes, which are used to help produce detailed scans of the body. Jamie MacDonald, Technical Director, Diagnostic Imaging Services for the Department of Health, says, “We have been told to expect product to be delivered by December 20. This means we can begin to reschedule patients who have been waiting for testing starting this Friday. Testing will be rescheduled according to priority with the most urgent cases being dealt with first.” Patients are scheduled for testing all day Friday and into Christmas week. Including those who were rescheduled this week, 68 patients have had their exams delayed because of a lack of radioisotopes. Jamie MacDonald says, “Fortunately, there is a relatively short wait list for most nuclear medicine procedures at the QEH and, through a dedicated effort, backlogs for testing are expected to be cleared up by early January.”Media Contact: Maureen Flanagan-LeClair