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Hot
Spot
British Columbia
Public forums on
health "a farce"
VICTORIA —
Letters and surveys sent out by the Ministry of Health
to BC private clinics in July proves the provincial
government had a hidden agenda during its now-concluded
Conversation on Health forums, alleged BC Health Coalition
spokesperson Leslie Dickout. The letters explained that
the government is considering more private sector involvement
in the healthcare system. Ms Dickout called the Conversation
on Health "a farce" and "a $10-million waste of public
funds." Health Minister George Abbott responded that
the accusations are conspiratorial and that the letter
was indeed appropriate. LD
Alberta
Alberta fired up
over smoking
EDMONTON —
Alberta teens are the most vulnerable in Canada
to smoking-associated cancers and illnesses, according
to a new report that found Alberta's youth can buy cigarettes
more easily than other Canadians due to high wages and
accessibility. Study author Dr Marino Francispillai
of the Alberta Cancer Board said hers is the first report
to take a "nitty gritty" look at tobacco use in the
province. The research also measured the financial burden
for tobacco-attributed diseases in Alberta at over $118.8
million in 2005-2006, not including physician or drug
costs. GE
Saskatchewan
Holdfast woman tired
of waiting
HOLDFAST —
"Quite frankly when that commercial comes on TV —
anything to do with healthcare — I could take my
chair and throw it at the television," Joyce Manz told
the Canadian Press. She's been waiting to have back
surgery since August 2006 and says the province is misleading
Saskatchewanians with its ad campaign hyping shorter
wait times. But Health Minister Len Taylor says although
many patients do wait too long for care, the ads are
necessary to assure the public that progress is being
made. With an election just around the corner, this
issue is a political hot potato. TJ
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Manitoba
Locals shun medical
tourism
WINNIPEG —
A Manitoba company that arranges "foreign surgery for
the middle classes," Choices Self Directed Healthcare,
is actually getting most of its customers from the US
and the Maritimes, not Manitoba. "[Manitoba] is doing
a fairly good job on surgery times, so that's why we're
not seeing a lot of Manitobans call us for surgeries,"
founder Daren Jorgenson told CBC News. According to
the company, more than 200 patients have made the trip
to Cuba for hip and knee replacements, addictions treatment,
dental implants, diagnostic tests and other services,
with fees ranging from $1,400 for minor outpatient surgery
to $20,000 and more for neurosurgery. HA
Ontario
Defib then CPR,
or vice-versa?
TORONTO —
Forty-three Ontario hospitals are part of a new North
America-wide study to compare the effect of defibrillating
cardiac arrest patients within 30 seconds rather than
first performing three minutes of CPR before the shock.
Right now, no one's sure which is better. "Most of us
who do this kind of research are very excited, because
[we'll be able to] answer questions we could never answer
before," cardiologist and key investigator Dr Paul Dorian
told the Toronto Star. The $15-million study
will look at a huge sample: 15,000 patients in Ontario,
Vancouver, and the US. JJM
Quebec
The straight dope
on dope
QUEBEC —
Acquitted drug trafficker Marc-Boris St-Maurice wants
Ottawa out of the weed game. Mr St-Maurice, the founder
of the Montreal Compassion Club, which sells medical
marijuana to people suffering from illnesses like cancer,
epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and HIV-AIDS, says the
federal medical marijuana program is burdened by red
tape. It's also rumoured that doctors are pressured
to reduce patients' recommended dosages. "The field
of health is a provincial jurisdiction and we believe
that it would be more appropriate if this program was
managed by our province instead of Ottawa," Mr St-Maurice
told the Canadian Press. He's asking Quebec Health Minister
Philippe Couillard to intervene. DB
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