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Quebec
Passing the buck
Montreal —
A recent report revealed that Quebec's health information
telephone service, Info-Santé, operated by Quebec's
community health centres (CLSCs), isn't firing on all
cylinders, says Le Soleil. The report found that
the nurse operators are referring a large number of
minor health complaints to hospitals, ERs or doctor's
offices, when in fact the queries could have been dealt
with over the phone. It's thought the gaffes are due
to a large percentage of inexperienced nurses. That
said, the report found that only 70 complaints were
received in 2003-04 out of 2.3 million calls handled
by service. DB
Tele-psychiatry
standards needed
Montreal —
The practice of tele-psychiatry is coming under fire.
The Quebec agency that evaluates new technology, AETMIS,
released a report saying that the practice needs to
follow strict standards. Tele-psychiatry uses videoconferencing
to treat patients in remote regions and can effectively
meet the needs of most patients, except those who are
violent, suicidal or otherwise unstable. AETMIS said
work still needs to be done on legal and privacy issues
and that high standards of technology are essential
to ensure quality of care. DB
New
Brunswick
Health spending
targets tots
FREDERICTON —
New Brunswick's Minister of Health and Wellness Elvy
Robichaud recently unveiled the province's $2 million
multi-year Wellness Strategy. Much of the strategy is
focused on children, with initiatives like a healthy
food grant for middle schools and physical activity
promotion in order to combat childhood obesity. The
province's Baby Friendly program will promote breastfeeding.
Additionally, New Brunswick has released its Pandemic
Influenza Plan, which will inform the health sector
in anticipation of a worldwide outbreak of influenza.
SB
Contributors: Hector Andrews, Simon
Biggar, Donna Byers, Lance Davies, Geoff Everett, Thane
Jenkins, Paige Lee, Julie J Mercier, Deana Stokes Sullivan
and Henrietta Yan.
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Hot
Spot
Nova Scotia
QEII hit with another
crisis
HALIFAX —
Surgery wait times at Nova Scotia's Queen Elizabeth
II Health Science Centre have once again grown critically
long. Cancer patients are waiting twice the Canadian
norm. Healthcare professionals at the QEII offered their
suggestions to the Chronicle Herald. Nurses want
to see more nurse practitioners. Meanwhile, Dr Romesh
Shukla, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, says he wants
a standardized national process to accredit foreign
doctors. PL
Prince
Edward Island
PEI needs needle
exchange
Charlottetown
— PEI is the only province without a needle
exchange program. Barb Gibson, executive director of
AIDs PEI, says addicts on the Island are in desperate
need of a program and wants a meeting with Health Minister
Chester Gillan. Ms Gibson has been campaigning for a
free needle exchange program since 2001 and contends
that 80% of the Island's hep C victims contracted the
disease via dirty needles. PEI's Director of Population
Health, Teresa Hennebery, told the CBC the government
is giving serious consideration to Ms Gibson's request.
PL
Newfoundland
AD drug coverage
needed: MDs
ST JOHN'S —
The Newfoundland and Labrador Alzheimer Society has
stepped up its lobbying to have drugs to treat the disease
included in the province's prescription drug program
for those with low incomes. Dr Ken Rockwood, a Nova
Scotia geriatrician and Dalhousie professor, has publicly
announced his support for the local association's position.
He said drugs like donepezil, rivastigmine tartrate
and galantamine hydrobromide provide a significant benefit
for some patients by slowing the progression of the
disease. The society is hoping the province will announce
approval of the drugs in its next budget. DSS
Hot
Spot
The Territories
Northern hospital
in shambles
IQALUIT, NUNAVUT
— News that the Baffin Regional Hospital
in Iqualuit has lost its status as an accredited institution
to train nursing and medical students has hit Nunavut's
biggest hospital hard. The hospital lost its status
after a review concluded it had insufficient staffing
and information systems, as well as having outdated
risk-management processes. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq
told the Canadian Press that the government has approved
$2.3 million in new funding to address the concerns
and she is confident the hospital will again meet national
standards. HY
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