CNW Group: Press Release: Shell announces $750,000 for Fort McMurray health care: Wednesday November 16, 12:24 pm ET

CALGARY, Nov. 16 /CNW/ - Shell Canada today announced a $750,000 donation from the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP) to the Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation in support of Fort McMurray health care services.

The $750,000 contribution is directed to Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation's $3.5 million fundraising campaign and will assist the Foundation in purchasing a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine to provide improved diagnostic services to Fort McMurray and other communities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

"When the people in the region and the Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation identified an MRI as a community priority, we listened. Quality health care is important to all of us and as a major employer and oil sands developer, we wanted to do our part." said Brian Straub, Senior Vice President of Oil Sands for Shell Canada Limited, the AOSP's largest owner and project administrator.

A joint venture among Shell Canada Limited (60 per cent), Chevron Canada Limited (20 per cent) and Western Oil Sands L.P. (20 per cent), the AOSP consists of the Muskeg River Mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta and the Scotford Upgrader near Edmonton.

MRI Campaign Chair Marty Giles said, "Our community continues to grow and we need to grow along with it. Securing an MRI is absolutely essential to providing better health services for the people of our region. We need to move forward with this campaign immediately, and it is heartening to see a strong level of support already."

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is a non-invasive imaging technology that is ideal for diagnosing skeletal conditions, spine and joint problems, infections of the brain, and can be useful in early detection of tumors. MRI is essential technology for use in orthopedics. As the Health Region continues efforts to recruit a second orthopedic surgeon, the Foundation will raise funds to ensure that appropriate diagnostic tools are available.

At present, Northern Lights Health Region patients requiring MRI must travel 450 km to the nearest facility in Edmonton. Patients wait on average between seven weeks and three months for a scan. Almost 10 per cent wait between four months and one year.

For further information

Janet Annesley, Manager, Public Affairs - Oil Sands/AOSP, Shell Canada Limited, (403) 691-2023
Rosemarie Horne, Executive Director, Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation, (780) 791-6041

Source: Shell Canada Limited

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