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Quebec
QC private care
goes unpunished
QUEBEC CITY —
Quebec has escaped punishment for its Canada
Health Act transgressions. The federal government's
2007 annual report on the Act, released in February,
announced penalties to BC and NS for double-billing.
The report said though there are "concerns about queue
jumping and charges to insured persons at private surgical
clinics" Quebec is working to resolve them. Quebec also
refused to submit required data to the federal government.
Critics say the government's leniency smacks of political
favouritism.
Hot
Spot
New Brunswick
Pathologist's errors
investigated
FREDERICTON —
A gigantic investigation has been launched after a provincial
audit revealed Miramichi pathologist Rajgopal S Menon
erred in 3% of his 227 prostate and breast biopsies
and failed to correctly complete a further 18% in 2004-5.
A new inquiry will examine all 24,000 cases Dr Menon
worked on in Miramichi. The RCMP is also considering
charges of criminal negligence. The NB College suspended
Dr Menon in February 2007.
Saint
John named top trauma centre
SAINT JOHN —
In the two-year-long battle to be named the province's
primary trauma hospital, the St John Regional Hospital
emerged victorious over the Moncton Hospital when the
government announced its new classifications in early
February.
Nova
Scotia
Mumps response bumpy:
audit
HALIFAX —
Health officials didn't do enough to contain the spread
of mumps in last year's outbreak, which has led to nearly
800 infections at last count, the province's Auditor
General told the legislature February 27. Jacques Lapointe
said vaccines weren't shipped and stored at the right
temperature; public info on the outbreak wasn't transparent
enough; and an immunization plan for healthcare workers
was delayed too long.
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Engineer
injured in hospital boiler explosion
BRIDGEWATER —
Both water boilers at the South Shore Regional Hospital
exploded in early February, injuring the hospital's
engineer and forcing the temporary closure of the facility's
day surgery, diagnostic imaging and laboratory departments.
The engineer has recovered, and one of the boilers is
back up and running now. In the interim, the hospital
used a wood-chip boiler and borrowed boilers from as
far away as Montreal.
Prince
Edward Island
Future doctor dies
exercising
STRATFORD —
Twenty-year-old biology student and aspiring
physician RenÄ Ayangma died just after a mixed
martial arts training session February 19. Chief medical
officer Dr Charles Trainor said the death was likely
natural, though the family says besides some past problems
with high blood pressure and asthma, he was strong and
healthy. Mr Ayangma's death came just two days after
the similarly unexplained death of a 19-year-old Calgary
Flames hockey prospect in Ontario.
Newfoundland
Botched tests' death
toll rises
ST JOHN'S —
The estimated death toll from botched breast cancer
hormone receptor tests in the province has risen to
322 — almost double what had been reported last
year. Over 1,000 patients between 1997 and 2005 —
a third of those tested for breast cancer in the province
over that period — were given incorrect test results.
A judicial inquiry has been launched to investigate
allegations of substandard training and oversight in
the Eastern Health authority, which is also facing a
huge class-action lawsuit.
Hot
Spot
The North
Army called in to
save hospital
IQUALUIT —
The Qikiqtani Regional Hospital in Iqualuit was forced
to ask the Canadian Forces to send a nurse to bail them
out for nine days in late February because the government
was unable to find one to staff its OR. The issue has
now been resolved, but only by co-opting two nurses
from the hospital's ED, the head of the Nunavut nurses'
union told Nunatsiaq News. "Basically, they're
robbing Peter to pay Paul." This is the second time
the hospital has had to beg the military for help; last
year a Canadian Forces physician filled in for a time.
Compiled by Sam Solomon
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