British Columbia

VANCOUVER — Settling for less The BC Medical Association (BCMA) has dropped its pursuit of an 11% increase in pay in its new contract with the province. BCMA president Dr John Turner says the members are looking to accept a mediator's recommendation of no wage increase for at least the next two years. The BCMA still wants a promise of a raise for doctors in 2006 but the government says it has no more to give. PB

ABBOTSFORD — The cluck stops here The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed that a second farm in the Abbotsford area has been hit with a highly infectious form of avian flu. The same strain infected another local farm last month and resulted in restricted movement of chickens to prevent further spread of the virus. Poultry exporters hope the swift response will contain the bird flu and restore international confidence in Canadian chicken. PB

Alberta

EDMONTON — Rx for a fuller purse Health Minister Gary Mar said the province might consider paying for only the least expensive drugs in order to reduce rising prescription drug costs. The government will work with doctors on a policy to ensure that the cheapest drugs would be used to treat specific conditions. Drug costs in Canada are increasing by 9.3% annually. (For more on Alberta health policy, see "Why can't we all just get along" on page 1.) GH

CALGARY — Accidental lethal injections Two locals died in the ICU at the Foothills Hospital after being given potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride during dialysis. The deaths, which occurred early March and late February but have just been made public, are thought to have been caused by a labelling mistake. Thirty more bags containing the wrong solution have been discovered. An inquiry is planned. GH

Saskatchewan

SASKATOON — Keep your head down It seems you shouldn't write letters to the health minister if you're an ER doctor and want to keep your job. Dr Jon Witt was "relieved of his duties" as medical director at the Royal University Hospital in mid-March after raising the flag about understaffing in the emergency room. His colleagues are working to have him reinstated and the opposition Saskatchewan Party wants new legislation to protect whistle-blowers. JH

Manitoba

WINNIPEG — The future is health The Health Sciences Centre Foundation is putting their nose to the grindstone to construct the Institute for Advanced Medicine, a research facility that will focus on medical informatics, advanced imaging and "surgery of the future." They hope to attract more researchers, increase opportunities for commercialization of new technologies and expand local health and life sciences clusters. JH

WINNIPEG — Good news for rural folk It may not be the easiest thing trying to find a doc if you live out in rural Manitoba. Thankfully, help is at hand. The tremendously successful Family Doctor Connection phoneline program, which was set up to connect Winnipeggers with family docs accepting new patients, is expanding to include all residents of the province. Since its official launch in 2002, more than 62,000 calls have been made. JH

Ontario

TORONTO — Small-town nursing? No thanks The Liberal government has announced that it will suspend a program to recruit nurses to small towns that offers free tuition if they agree to work in the boonies. Provincial health minister George Smitherman attributes the suspension to a lack of interest — to put it bluntly, few students have applied. The program was originally proposed by the Tories but never got off the ground after their defeat in October's election. CS

HAMILTON — Taking it to the streets Ontario's doctors are turning to the public to drum up awareness and support for higher wages and better working conditions. The OMA is using radio and newspaper to sensitize the public to doctor shortages that are putting patients and the healthcare system at risk. The OMA and the provincial government are currently in negotiations and expect a new contract to be in place by summer. CS

Quebec

MONTREAL — Cut the short cuts The Quebec Hospitals Association is clamping down on a questionable sterilization practice, called flash sterilization, that cuts time down to 10-12 minutes. The less-effective method involves cleaning surgical instruments with disinfectant and then placing them in a sealed container and into an autoclave. A report published in The Gazette states that flash sterilization is on the rise in many local hospitals. CS

DRUMMONDVILLE — Milk it for all its worth Lactating mothers with financial troubles will be getting a break. A local clinic has set up a program that will distribute food high in nutritional value to low-income mothers who are breastfeeding. The program, called OLO (Oeufs, lait, oranges, or Eggs, milk, oranges) distributes healthy grub to mothers in the community up to six months after they give birth. CS

Contributors: Paula Baker, Gail Helgason, Jacqui Clydesdale, Toss Taylor, Bill McGuire, Brian Hoyle, Deanna Stokes-Sullivan, John Hewson, Jane George, Carla Sparks