New clinic welcomed news for Saskatchewan MS community
Regina, SK [March 18, 2026] – MS Canada welcomes the funding to establish a multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic in Regina, as announced in the provincial budget.
The new clinic will serve residents of Regina and southern Saskatchewan, who currently must travel to Saskatoon to access specialized MS care.
“This provincial budget announcement marks a meaningful step forward for people living with MS,” said Mona Bates, MS Canada’s Senior Director, Community for the Prairies and Western Canada. “Saskatchewan has one of the highest rates of MS not only in Canada, but the world. The addition of a new clinic in the southern part of the province will be life-changing. It means earlier diagnosis, better access to specialized care, and less time spent travelling long distances for treatment. Most importantly, it brings care closer to home, strengthening patient-centred care and supporting community well-being.”
The addition of the Regina clinic addresses a critical need for specialized MS treatment. A 2023 report from Deloitte Access Economics found that disruptions in Canada’s health care system during the pandemic caused additional delays in both MS diagnosis and MS treatment, resulting in worse outcomes for Canadians living with MS.
The study also found that the annual cost of MS to Saskatchewan was more than $98.5 million in 2019, $34.1 million of which was in direct costs to Saskatchewan’s health system.
“When access to MS specialists is restricted, the costs – increased disease progression in the individual, decreased workforce participation, and greater healthcare costs – accumulate at an increased speed over the following years,” said Bates.
The new Regina clinic will be under the leadership of Dr. Izn Shahab, the first subspecialist in multiple sclerosis in southern Saskatchewan.
Dr. Shahab aims to establish a multidisciplinary team at the clinic, which includes MS specialist nurses and occupational therapists, allowing southern Saskatchewan residents to access all elements of MS care in one place.
“The medical students who join me in my clinic are always surprised at how differently MS affects each person. This is a highly variable disease, and the supports each person needs are also different. Because of this, a single doctor in an office is not enough to provide good care for people with MS; we need a multidisciplinary team with a variety of expertise under one roof,” said Dr. Shahab. “I am delighted to hear that our government is committed to making such a place in Regina. It will be of tremendous benefit to our community, and I am very much looking forward to being part of it.”
The community in the province welcomed the news.
“I’m so excited for my MS friends in the southern part of the province. This will allow faster access to MS specialists. Faster access and shorter commutes equal a better quality of life for people living with MS,” said Joni Straker, an MS Canada ambassador.
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About MS Canada
At MS Canada, we are inspired by the vision of a world free of multiple sclerosis. We focus on support, advocacy and research that will positively impact the lives of people living with, and affected by MS. For over 75 years, we have been a trusted connection for the MS community to valuable resources and programs needed on their unique MS journey. We advocate for policy change that removes barriers and improves the well-being of persons affected by MS in Canada. We invest in life-changing research that will advance treatment and care, enhance well-being, help to understand and halt disease progression, and ultimately prevent MS.
About Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed every day. MS is a neurological disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve). Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49. MS is a continuous disease process that progresses through different stages over time, and everyone experiences it differently as severity, symptoms and response to treatment can vary from one person to the next. The unpredictable, episodic yet progressive nature of MS makes it particularly challenging to maintain an adequate quality of life.
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