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British Columbia
VANCOUVER —Nurses
kill a radio ad A
rather ribald TV spot for radio station Z95.3 FM has
raised the ire of the BC Nurses' Union. The commercial
shows a scantily clad troupe of nurses passionately
singing and dancing, Britney Spears-style, until an
elderly gent interrupts the high jinks by shouting,
"It's time for my sponge bath!" The union released a
bulletin claiming the ad "denigrates nurses." The station
pulled the ad shortly thereafter. BW
VICTORIA
— Alzheimer's
100 years war The year 2006 will mark the 100th
anniversary of the naming of Alzheimer's disease by
Dr Alois Alzheimer. At a conference on aging in Victoria,
members of the Alzheimer Society of Canada called for
urgent action and a national strategy on fighting Alzheimer's
and other dementias — and they want to see it put
into action in time for the centennial. They're asking
for more intensive research, improved physician training,
more funding for long-term care facilities and increased
funding for home care. BW
Alberta
EDMONTON —
Klein's reforms
still murky Premier Ralph Klein has been hitting
the campaign trail after calling an election for November
22. Mr Klein is almost certain to win. However, the
other parties (NDP, Liberal, Alberta Alliance) are vigorously
challenging Mr Klein to be more specific about his much
ballyhooed healthcare reforms. He's expected to introduce
some form of privatized medicine to the province, but
the normally candid politician has refused to give any
details of his plans. LD
Saskatchewan
REGINA —
Kicking
against the pricks Responding to concerns raised
by nurses last month, Labour Minister Deb Higgins announced
that Saskatchewan will be the first province in Canada
to make safety-engineered needles mandatory. Nurses
pointed out that the old-fashioned needles make them
vulnerable to diseases like hepatitis and HIV, and that
2000 needle-stick injuries occur every year in Saskatchewan
alone. The safer needles are expected to cost the province
about $3 million. Ms Higgins feels the needles are a
priority despite their significant costs. TJ
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Manitoba
WINNIPEG —
Bean counters
break silence The
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba released
their quality of life study and it has good and bad
news for the province. For reinvestment into healthcare,
Manitoba trounced the rest of Canada, with a 37.3% increase
in healthcare spending since 1998. This is 50% higher
than BC, the next-best province. On the downside, people
are stuck in hospital beds in Manitoba for an average
of 9.1 days — longer than any other province. TJ
Ontario
TORONTO —
Premier wrestles
'Big Brother' For those who feel we live in a
Kafkaesque world of red tape and diminishing privacy,
Ontario offered some encouraging news. As of November
1, Ontario's Health Information Protection Act set in
place rules and regulations on how personal health information
is to be shared, collected and safeguarded. Health Minister
George Smitherman says the act will set in motion "the
strongest and clearest rules ever in this province on
how personal health records are to be used and protected."
LD
TORONTO
— Respite
for sore eyes Ontarians with eye concerns who've
been putting off getting their eyes tested due to price
or lack of coverage are in for some good news. The Ontario
Health Insurance Plan will allow people with eye conditions
to visit their eye doctor once a year. Previously, the
cap was set at one visit every two years. JM
TORONTO
— A
boon for breast cancer research Princess Margaret
Hospital's Institute for Breast Cancer Research will
be receiving $25 million thanks to Audrey Campbell,
heiress to the Thomson newspaper empire, and some considerable
community fundraising efforts. The donation places the
facility at the international forefront of breast cancer
research, says Vice President Dr Bell. The institute
is headed by Dr Tak Mak, a prolific and internationally
respected researcher in the fight against breast cancer.
TJ
Contributors:
Hector Andrews, Lance Davies, Geoff Everett, Brian
Hoyle, Thane Jenkins, Janice Mercier, Deanna Stokes-Sullivan, Brent Woodford
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