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Quebec
MONTREAL —
A Shriners shiner Cameras flashed and so too
did Jean Charest's grin, as he helped to keep the Shriners
Hospital in Montreal. The contest between Montreal and
London, ON, was a true nail biter; Mr Charest admitted
he didn't know it was in the bag until the very last
moment. A bitter five-year battle was waged between
the two cities, with much name-calling and unseemly
tactics on both sides. The Shriners say they were ultimately
persuaded to stay in Montreal and build near the proposed
McGill superhospital, despite some concerns about the
site and the spectre of Quebec separation. DB
MONTREAL
— Au
revoir, CLSCs A new kind of family health clinic
has arrived in Montreal. Known as GMFs (Groupe de mÄdecine
de famille), the new clinics will gradually replace
the old community clinic, or CLSC, model. This is good
news for the more than 150,000 'orphan' patients in
Montreal who would like to have a family doctor to call
their own. Similar to their Ontario Family Health Group
(FHG) counterparts, GMF physicians require their patients
to sign a contract in order to identify them as their
patients. The transformation is expected to be completed
by this December. DB
New
Brunswick
FREDERICTON —
Talking the abortion
talk Premier Bernard Lord's government is not
taking Ottawa's gentle decree that the province should
pay for abortion services in private clinics lying down.
The province has opted to take its Canada Health Act
dispute to a three person panel (consisting of a provincial
and a federal representative and a third party chair),
spurning advances by federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh
to sit down and discuss the issue. Mr Dosanjh has the
final say, however, on whether or not to accept the
panel's report. SB
Nova
Scotia
HALIFAX —
Silver medal for
obesity Nova Scotia is second, after Newfoundland,
in the land in terms of corpulence. A whopping 55% of
Nova Scotians are either overweight or obese. This could
get even worse according to a recent study by Statistics
Canada that shows kids are getting even fatter —
32% of NS youngsters are overweight; the national average
is 26%. Nova Scotia Health Promotion, which puts $24
million into programs to get Nova Scotians to live healthier,
says it plans to curb the trend by concentrating on
healthy meals and better physical activities in schools.
SB
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Prince
Edward Island
CHARLOTTETOWN
— Ouch!
they did it again The PEI government recently
slashed 330 civil servant jobs, and the PEI Lung Association
is concerned all this health and education slashing
could reverse much of the good work that has been done
to reduce smoking rates. Vicky Bryanton, head of the
association, is worried the cuts will inevitably affect
anti-smoking programs — especially since Health
Minister Chester Gillan wasn't able to offer any assurances
to the contrary. SB
Newfoundland
ST JOHN'S —
The road to Pleasantville
A temporary methadone maintenance treatment program
has opened in St John's for individuals with serious
opioid dependence. The program is intended to bridge
the gap until a full program, recommended by a task
force on narcotic abuse last year, is available this
fall in Pleasantville. Two physicians — who have
been granted special licence to provide methadone in
a clinic setting — and an addictions counsellor
will run the interim clinic. The only other doctor in
the province prescribing methadone is based in the central
Newfoundland town of Grand Falls-Windsor. DSS
The
Territories
FORT MCPHERSON,
NWT — Nurse
news north Healthcare staff shortages are a part
of a nationwide crisis. The problem is chronic in the
far North, where it's difficult to retain staff, often
from the South. Last week the territory's health department
began a new program that aims to move away from the
short-term solution of bringing in Southern nurses to
a longterm plan to train local nurses to work independently
in smaller communities. Planners hope the territory
will win in the long run by having well-trained nurses
who want to stick it out in the North, their home. The
nurses will be obligated to stay in a remote community
for at least two years. HY
Contributors:
Hector Andrews, Simon Biggar, Donna Byers, Lance Davies,
Geoff Everett, Thane Jenkins, Julie J. Mercier, Deana
Stokes Sullivan, and Henrietta Yan.
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