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British
Columbia
VANCOUVER —
Cough up,
doc A BC doctor has found himself on the losing
end of a money dispute with his former spouse and daughter.
Dr William Neufeld has been ordered by BC's highest
court to pay 50% of his daughter Jennifer's medical
school costs for at least the next three years. Dr Neufeld
resents that he must fork over $22,000 a year out of
his $170,000 annual salary, adding that it sends the
wrong message to Canadian children, that they can simply
freeload their way through life. LD
VANCOUVER
— Co-sign
crackdown Dr Daljit Singh Herar is the fourth
and latest BC physician to face disciplinary measures
for co-signing the prescriptions of US patients buying
cheap meds from Canadian internet pharmacies. He'll
be suspended for two years — the harshest sentence
yet. Dr Herar pleaded guilty to the charge of 'infamous
conduct,' a stronger charge than 'unprofessional conduct,'
because he lied about what he'd done. This is Dr Herar's
second suspension; he was suspended in 1999 for writing
scripts for known drug seekers. CS
Alberta
EDMONTON —
Read my
lips: no flat taxes John Carpay, director of
the Alberta division of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation,
isn't happy with Alberta's healthcare fees. In fact,
he'd like to see them scrapped completely. "[There is]
no excuse for not cutting taxes," he said, noting that
Alberta's revenues on a per capita basis are the highest
in Canada. "... For a family earning under $35,000 a
year, $1,056 in premiums is a big hit," he complained.
Alberta Health & Wellness spokesman Mark Kaster
defended the premiums, saying they're a way of reminding
people that health services aren't free. GE
Saskatchewan
REGINA —
Responsible government
The tragic prescription drug overdose death of
aboriginal man Darcy Dean Ironchild has prompted the
Saskatchewan Health Department to expand its prescription
database system to track every prescription in the province.
Since Mr Ironchild's meds were paid for federally, his
drug seeking eluded the province's radar. It emerged
that Mr Ironchild had 300 scripts filled last year.
The government hopes to soon take the program to the
next level and allow pharmacists and other authorized
personnel to access the database. TJ
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Hot
Spot
•Manitoba
WINNIPEG
— Emotionally
and fiscally charged Provincial
Health Minister Tim Sale is in the middle of a political
storm over how his province will fund private abortions.
Last month, Chief Justice Jeffrey Oliphant ruled
that making women pay for abortions in private clinics
violates their rights under the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. Mr Sale wants the government to appeal
the ruling to ensure the province protects its right
to choose how healthcare dollars are spent. He's
concerned the case could affect spending decisions
about other procedures with long waiting lists.
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Ontario
TORONTO —
Not amused Family
doctor Ken Milne's idea of protesting the McGuinty government's
foot-dragging with regard to Ontario's chronic physician
shortage hasn't met with the approval of the Ontario
Medical Association (OMA). Dr Milne last month urged
the province's docs to drop Liberal government members
and their families from their practices, thereby unclogging
the bottleneck and giving politicians a dose of their
own doctorless medicine in one fell swoop. "...I can
certainly understand [his] frustration," said OMA president
Dr John Rapin, "[However,] we can't condone targeting
anyone, including politicians or their families." JJM
TORONTO
— Dulling
the pain The year started off on the right foot
for contract-hungry Ontario doctors. The government
softened its stance and offered to meet with the OMA
for further talks. Then, just as suddenly, the good
feeling vanished. Health Minister George Smitherman
is in a lather about the province's anesthetists' plan
to "hold patients hostage" by walking off the job for
one day on February 11. The anesthetists say they wanted
to send a message to the government, but insist patients
won't be harmed, just inconvenienced, as they'll remain
available for emergencies. JJM
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