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British Columbia
VICTORIA —Bring
on the international docs Ottawa
is keen to expedite the process of licensing international
medical grads (IMGs), and BC Health Minister Shirley
Bond says she wants in. Ms Bond was responding to NDP
leader Carole James' announcement of her party's plan
to spend $5 million a year to create 14 more IMG residencies.
Ms Bond couldn't resist offering her theory that if
the NDP government hadn't ignored the issue during its
decade in power BC wouldn't be in its current pickle.
LD
VANCOUVER
— Battling
the bloodsuckers Billions of mosquito larvae
lurking beneath manhole covers, yearning for spring
so they can break loose and wreak bloodthirsty West
Nile Virus-havoc on the denizens of Vancouver. Sound
like a bad Canadian movie? Sadly the scenario could
become reality if precautions aren't taken, warns a
report made to the Greater Vancouver Regional District
committee. Despite the alarm bells, chief medical health
officer Dr John Blatherwick is satisfied with the level
of preparedness and advised the city not to panic or
waste money on a larvae hunt. LD
Alberta
EDMONTON —
Respecting our
elders Anticipating the healthcare needs of the
legions of baby boomers who will need care in the future,
as well as those of today's seniors, greenhorn Alberta
Health and Wellness Minister Iris Evans recently outlined
her longterm care strategy. Ms Evans wants to standardize
Designated Assisting Living Facilities and fortify them
with intensive nursing, but limit admittance to only
the most needy. Ms Evans says a more gradual path to
nursing homes will allow people to feel independent
longer. GE
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Saskatchewan
REGINA —Scoring
a KO against MD burnout Susan
MacDonald of the University Park Family Medical Clinic
in Regina is a harbinger of the doctor of tomorrow.
Unlike many of her colleagues, Dr MacDonald, doesn't
do the 80-hour workweek thing -- with four kids, she
decided it was either cut back or burn out. Nowadays
she sees patients about 18 hours a week, but add paperwork
and she clocks about 30 hours. William Albritton, Dean
of Medicine at U of S, says young docs taking a more
balanced approach to life is the new reality. TJ
Manitoba
WINNIPEG —
A healthy injection
of ca$h Cheers could be heard throughout Manitoba's
healthcare community after Finance Minister Greg Selinger
announced in his 2005/06 budget that he has earmarked
nearly half his NDP government's $293 million budget
increase for healthcare. With a new total healthcare
budget of $3.4 billion, Mr Selinger pledged to make
cutting waiting lists job one. He noted progress has
already been made in reducing waiting lists for cancer
radiation treatment and cardiac surgery. HA
Ontario
TORONTO —
Enrolment boom
In a step towards fulfilling a key Liberal election
promise, Health Minister George Smitherman recently
announced that the government will drastically increase
the number of training spots for family doctors in Ontario's
five medical schools. Starting next year, there will
be about 150 new spots, up 70%. The students would finish
their family medicine residencies in 2008. The OMA warned
that much more needs to be done to make working and
staying in Ontario more attractive. They should know
-- the March 30 deadline for an agreement between the
province and its 22,000 doctors is nigh. JJM
TORONTO
—The
master healthcare plan Dalton McGuinty's government
unveiled another part of its comprehensive healthcare
plan, announcing a $11.6 million health and safety investment
in the province's hospitals. One objective is to move
away from needles where appropriate, and switch to state-of-the
art needle-less systems like newer IV connectors. JJM
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