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British
Columbia
Crowded ED labelled
a fire hazard
NEW WESTMINSTER
— A fire marshal ordered the Royal Columbian
Hospital emerg department in New Westminster to be cleared
on February 13 because overcrowding had made it unsafe.
Returning later that day, the marshal was satisfied
to see that hospital staff had moved some of the patients
to other wards and to hallways in other parts of the
hospital. No word on whether that satisfied the waiting
patients, too.
MRSA
rates spike in addicts
VANCOUVER —
The rate of MRSA infection among injection drug users
in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside district rose 250%
from 2000 to 2006, according to a new study in the February
issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Nearly one in five addicts tested positive for MRSA.
Read about a doctor who works with these patients in
"Addiction
doc struggles with own demons".
Alberta
E coli drug
resistance growing
CALGARY —
Drug-resistant strains of E coli are on the rise and
public health officials must act now, University of
Calgary researchers warn in a article in the current
issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The
authors advocate a worldwide monitoring system to allow
experts in affected countries, including Canada, to
react quickly to an outbreak.
Calgary
MD-politician a spy: book
CALGARY —
A new book, Comrade J, by Pete Earley, accuses
former Tory MP Alex Kindy, a Polish-born psychiatrist,
of selling Canadian intelligence secrets to Russia to
finance his failed 1993 re-election bid. Released in
January, the publisher, Penguin Group, recently stopped
shipments of the book to Canada due to legal concerns
after widespread criticism of the allegations.
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Saskatchewan
'Mercy killer' Latimer
paroled
WILKIE —
Robert Latimer, who was convicted of the 'mercy killing'
of his 12-year-old daughter Tracy in 1993, will be released
on day parole. His parole was previously denied in December.
Mr Latimer, a grain farmer from Wilkie, is serving a
life sentence for second degree murder. Tracy had a
severe form of cerebral palsy, caused by a loss of oxygen
during birth. Her doctors confirmed she suffered daily
seizures and was in constant, excruciating pain.
Manitoba
'Canada's Shiavo'
going to trial
WINNIPEG —
A Winnipeg judge ruled against the hospital and doctors
on February 13 in extending an injunction preventing
doctors from taking severely ill 84-year-old patient
Samuel Golubchuk off his ventilation and feeding tube.
Physicians say Mr Golubchuk cannot be revived, but his
Orthodox Jewish family has refused to allow them to
withdraw care for religious reasons. The case, which
has been called "Canada's Terry Schiavo case," should
go to trial soon, the judge said.
Ontario
Neurology crisis
growing
TORONTO —
There are too few neurologists in Ontario and those
few are sorely underpaid, the Association of Ontario
Neurologists warned in late February. An 11% pay raise
is warranted, said president Dr Rajit Singh. Hundreds
of patients are going to the US to see neurologists
because of Ontario's shortage, he added.
Singing
the OHIP card blues
TORONTO —
Ignoring his own lyrical advice from his song "Learn
To Keep Your Mouth Shut, Owen Pallett," the Toronto
musician unwittingly sparked an uproar after his OHIP
card was revoked. Turns out Mr Pallett's tour schedule
meant he hadn't lived in Ontario for six months last
year. The NDP health critic is pushing the government
to reverse the decision because Mr Pallett should have
been exempted from the six-month rule because he was
away for employment.
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