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British Columbia
VICTORIA
—
More please
BC physicians are looking to the province for a hefty
pay raise to the tune of $1.3 billion over three years.
But the province isn't so willing to oblige the 7,800
doctors -- calling their demands outrageous and unrealistic.
BC doctors are already among the highest paid in Canada,
with the richest benefits and most generous on-call
program in the country, says Health Services Minister
Colin Hansen. Officials predict negotiations will last
five-months. PB
NANAIMO
— ER
docs get even After two weeks of negotiating,
ER doctors struck an agreement with the Vancouver Island
Health Authority over disputed staffing levels and have
gone back to work at Nanaimo Regional Hospital. Funding
cuts of 20% announced in mid-January spurred ER physicians
to resign last month in order to back their demands
for staffing parity with Victoria hospitals. While the
doctors didn't achieve that goal, their new deal will
see staffing levels return to pre-budget cut standards.
PB
Alberta
EDMONTON
— No
two-tier for Alberta The
government will shelve a controversial report that recommended
new ways for the public to pay for healthcare, says
Health Minister Gary Mar. The report by the government's
Health Reform Implementation Team had recommended electronic
health cards and a medical savings account to fund health
care and increase revenues. Mr Mar says the public won't
accept these methods, and that the focus now is on wiser
spending, not less spending. GH
EDMONTON
— ER
strain Emergency rooms in Edmonton are struggling
with backlogs that are resulting in more than an 80-per-cent
increase in the last five years in the number of patients
who leave before being seen. Dr Ron Kruhlak, president
of the Edmonton Emergency Physicians Association, says
the strain is paralyzing the system. Local health authority
CEO Sheila Weatherill says 700 more acute-care beds
are planned by 2010. Unlike Calgary, no plans exist
for new hospitals or major additions. GH
Saskatchewan
SASKATOON
— Can't
Get to Sleep? The Saskatoon Health Region put
a hiring-freeze on staff at its Sleep Disorders Centre.
The centre has equipment to conduct 42 studies a week,
but as a result of the shortage they're conducting just
16 studies a week. This isn't good news for the 2,000
people waiting for an overnight test. Many patients
referred to the centre have obstructive sleep apnea,
which can cause heart attacks, strokes, and elevated
blood pressure. JH
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Manitoba
WINNIPEG
— Tiny
Tim syndrome Poor kids in Manitoba aren't getting
the same disease protection as rich kids. The province
is under increasing pressure from doctors and patients
to see to it that this gets changed. The Canadian Paediatric
Society says they should be offering free chicken pox,
meningitis and pneumococcus vaccinations since they're
already offered in other provinces. At the moment in
Manitoba, if you can't pay, you don't get immunized.
JH
Ontario
TORONTO
— From
bad to worse Amid walkout threats from doctors,
the Ontario Hospital Association has announced that
the province's hospitals are carrying a deficit of $420
million, which could mean more service cutbacks and
bed closures. Meanwhile Health Minister George Smitherman
announced $14 million for safety equipment to try to
curb some of the 1,500 annual claims to the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board by nurses. Nursing shortages
are another key crisis for Mr Smitherman's embattled
ministry. TT
TORONTO
— New
medical SWAT team has hospital on wheels Ontario's
new 80-volunteer Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT)
and its 20-bed mobile acute care hospital will soon
be ready to roll anywhere in the province within 24
hours of any crisis situation. Emergency physician Dr
Christopher Mazza, who headed the development of the
$1.5 million unit, says it's the first of its kind in
the world. LS
Quebec
SHERBROOKE
— ER
meltdown Pressure
is mounting in the ER of the Sherbrooke Regional Hospital
where Health Minister Philippe Couillard famously cut
his teeth. Waiting times have become unbearable and
staff have been forced to do overtime to compensate
for shortages. Director General Jean-Pierre Chicoine
explains that the hospital is the only one serving the
entire region and they're unable to redirect patients
to neighbouring hospitals, because they're too far away.
CS
QUEBEC CITY
—
Quebec
gets slap on the wrist And now the whole country
knows about it. The Globe and Mail has obtained
a copy of a letter sent to provincial Health Minister
Philippe Couillard in July 2003 by then federal Health
Minister Anne McLellan. The letter demanded that Quebec
stop private clinics from charging patients for diagnostic
imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs because it's a
violation of the Canada Health Act which states that
everyone should have equal access to healthcare. CS
Contributors:
Paula Baker, Gail Helgason, Lin Stranberg, Jacqui Clydesdale, Carla Sparks, Toss Taylor, Bill McGuire, Brian
Hoyle, Deanna Stokes-Sullivan, John Hewson
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