Chronic pain patients in Que.'s Magdalen Islands without care after doctor's flight cancelled

Dozens of people with chronic pain are without care in Quebec's Magdalen Islands, says a doctor whose flight cancellations have put treatment on hold for many of his patients.

Dr. David Landry, a neuro-radiologist at Notre-Dame Hospital in Montreal, regularly flies into the region to treat patients with chronic pain.

"The intensity of the pain varies," said Landry, "but a lot of out the care they provide they'd need high doses of painkillers."

He says recent Air Canada cancellations mean he won't be able to return to the area until September, and that his 58 patients may not get care until then.

"In the meantime, they don't have any treatment," he said.

Landry says the kind of treatment he provides cannot be offered via tele-medicine. Instead, he says, he has to be with the patient for a proper assessment.

"These are infiltration treatments that are done under image guidance, so I have to be in the room with the patient, the CT scanner and x-rays, or ultrasound, to be able to do the procedure," he said.

Landry has been flying his route for four years and says it's never been so hard to get there.

Sophie Doucet, the CEO of the local health authority, agrees.

"We have witnessed, in the last couple of months, a deterioration in the reliability of the service," she said. "Many flights are cancelled or delayed."

"Air Canada appreciates the inconvenience schedule changes cause customers," said the airline in a statement to CTV News.

"Airport and airline industry operations have been impacted by resource issues. This was the case for this flight."