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Quebec
C difficile strikes
again
MONTREAL —
Healthcare workers in Quebec are busy waging a battle
against a stubborn old foe, a virulent strain of C
difficile, which has directly or indirectly caused
the deaths of 2,000 Quebeckers. This is not a new strain
of the virus, such as the C difficile-related
diarrhea which recently struck a hospital in St Hyacinthe,
65 kilometres east of Montreal, but the original and
most virulent, NAP1/027. "With the strain we have here
in Quebec, there's no room for errors and no room for
being lax," Dr Mark Miller, head of a national surveillance
group on C difficile, told the Gazette.
DB
New
Brunswick
A very dubious distinction
FREDERICTON —
An editorial in the The New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
channeled the anger New Brunswickers are feeling
after the Fraser Institute revealed that the province
is "dead last" in the national wait-list time rankings.
"If there is a gold standard by which Canadians measure
the health of the health care system, it is wait times,"
the editorial reads. The editorial goes on to advise
Health Minister Michael Murphy to "stay focused on the
issue," and it sardonically suggests his Liberal government
mark June 7, 2007 on its calendar. "That's 32 weeks
from now — the length of time a patient who starts
suffering today may have to wait for treatment." SB
Nova
Scotia
Second guessing
two-tiered medicine
HALIFAX —
Health Minister Christopher d'Entremont admitted to
the Chonicle Herald that legislation his government
promised regarding private clinics is not ready at this
time. Mr d'Entremont says that his government wants
to be sure the legislation is just and that the public
is consulted properly. The government has been promising
legislation for over a year, when it was discovered
that three different private clinics were making plans
to open in the Halifax area. PL
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Prince
Edward Island
Islanders get new
hospital
CHARLOTTETOWN
— Christmas has come early to the West Prince
region of Prince Edward Island, as Health Minister Chester
Gillan announced a new acute care hospital for the area.
The new hospital will replace two existing hospitals,
which will be converted to long-term care facilities.
Mr Gillan said the move will help to strengthen the
delivery of acute and primary care services in the region,
which has been plagued with physician shortages. Construction
for the new facility will begin during the summer of
2008. PL
Newfoundland
Nurses earn raise,
lose sick days
ST JOHN's —
The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union (NLNU) has
reached a tentative agreement with the province after
what president Debbie Forward termed "a long arduous
process." The contract, which expires June 2008, includes
wage increases totalling 6%. Effective December 1, however,
new hires will have sick leave of only one day per month
instead of the current two days per month. The union
also nabbed increases in night and weekend shift premiums
and a commitment by the province to begin a healthy
workplace pilot project. DSS
Hot
Spot
The North
Health Minister
accused of threatening MLA's family
YELLOWKNIFE —
Yukon Health Minister Michael Miltenberger has been
relieved of his duties after an incident in which he
uttered a threatening remark towards Kam Lake MLA Dave
Ramsay, reported Northern News Services. The
incident occurred after a discussion in the legislative
assembly where Mr Ramsay questioned Premier Joe Handley
on the wisdom of having Mr Miltenberger simultaneously
juggle both the portfolios of Environment and Sustainable
Resources and Health and Social Services. Mr Ramsay
alleges that after this Mr Miltenberger said "your wife,
your brother," followed by a slashing gesture. HY
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