The Ontario government won't let a U.S. company operate a mobile ultrasound clinic in the province and Health Minister George Smitherman is calling the firm modern-day "snake oil salesmen."

The Cleveland-based company, Life Line Screening, had planned to run one-day diagnostic clinics in churches in the Hamilton-Niagara area, southwest of Toronto.

Instead, Ontario rushed through legislation banning them.

"These are snake oil salesmen of the current time," said Smitherman. "We've sent the message that they're not welcome here."

Ultrasound tests screen for things like clogged arteries, aneurysms and osteoporosis.

Life Line Screening was going to charge seniors $60 a test and its flyers promised it would "help you avoid a stroke in just 10 minutes".

On its Web site, Life Line Screening says it aims "to make people aware of an undetected health problem and encourage them to seek follow-up care with their physician."

Ontario said the Ohio company was violating the Canada Health Act. As well, some doctors said the ultrasound test being offered was unnecessary.

"Personally, I think it borders on fraud," said Dr. John Mernagh of the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation.

"You have someone telling patients -- mostly seniors -- if they don't do something they are going to die."

CTV's Peter Murphy, reporting from the Hamilton area, said some churches were also skeptical.

"I pointed out to the company one of the items they provide -- there's a clinic just a few doors down," said Fr. John Wilhelm of the St. Francis Xavier Church in Stoney Creek, Ont. The church did not allow Life Line Screening from using its property.

And residents, as well, agreed that the company should not be allowed to operate.

"Is there also a lineup for this service? If there is a line, there is an issue," one resident told CTV. "If there is no lineup, then there is no point in having this coming here."

Still, this may not be the last of these kinds of healthcare skirmishes.

"Ontario may have stopped Lifeline screening from offering its services here," says Murphy, "but health officials say it will be just a matter of time until another U.S. medical company makes a similar attempt."

In related news, Ontario announced Friday that it would be opening nine new MRI testing facilities and buying back private clinics.

"To keep Ontarians healthy, we need to reduce wait times for key medical services, including MRIs," Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a release.

"We're making significant progress towards that goal."