National

Thalidomide survivors get long-sought meeting with health minister

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Dec, 2014 11:12 AM

OTTAWA — Thalidomide victims are set to have a long-awaited meeting with federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose.

She is expected to meet the Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada today to discuss their request for more financial support.

All the victims were born to mothers who took the government-approved drug in the 1950s and 60s without knowing of its disastrous side-effects.

Though a lump-sum payment was given by the government to victims in the 1990s as compensation, aging survivors say more is needed to cope with their day-to-day needs.

Ambrose has called the thalidomide disaster an incredibly tragic event and has said she wants to work with victims.

The meeting comes the same day as the House of Commons is expected to vote on an NDP motion of support for the victims.

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