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New Brunswick
SAINT
JOHN — Student
life just got healthier The revelation that many
university students don't have access to a doctor has
prompted the University of New Brunswick in Saint John
to set aside $70,000 to establish a health clinic on
campus. Kevin Bonner, Student Services manager at UNBSJ,
says that several doctors have already agreed to work
part-time at the clinic, which will also have a nurse
and mental health counsellors. JC
MIRAMICHI
— Out
of their own pockets With rural drug abuse soaring,
the need for a methadone clinic in the Miramichi has
become overwhelming. Three local doctors have decided
to take action and fund one themselves. The government
refuses to fund an addiction clinic in the region until
it can offer the same service province-wide. One of
the docs, Dr Bill Martin, says that Mirimachi's addicts
can't wait that long, and hopes volunteers and donations
will be forthcoming. They hope to have the clinic opened
by the end of June. JC
Nova Scotia
HALIFAX
— Socially
misfitted Just prior to the election call, the
federal Liberals confirmed funding to establish a national
research lab in Halifax mandated to study how social
factors like poverty affect Canadians' health. The National
Centre for Health Disparities will be one of five regional
labs operating as part of a new public health initiative
headquartered in Winnipeg. Social status, mental illness,
and lifestyle choices such as smoking are prime targets
of study. BH
HALIFAX
— QEII
CJD-free After several dozen patients at the
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax were exposed
to unsterilized equipment used to treat a suspected
Creutfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patient, fears were high
they'd been infected with the deadly wasting disease.
Happily tests carried out in Canada and Austria confirmed
that the patients were CJD-free. BH
Prince Edward Island
SUMMERSIDE
— The
grass will be greener The old Prince County Hospital
will be razed in the summer to make way for a green
space in the city's core. There are plans to use the
area for soccer fields. When the new $50 million Prince
County Hospital was completed earlier this year, all
necessary equipment from the old hospital was transferred
over. BM
CHARLOTTETOWN
— Breaking
the mould Inquiries are pouring into the PEI
Department of Health after an eight-year-old home in
western PEI had to be abandoned because of an invasion
of a toxic black mould. Scott and Carol Anne Peters
were forced out with their young son, Creed, after an
air quality inspector said the home had a serious mould
problem — they were even advised to leave their
belongings behind. Tragically, little Creed was forced
to part with his beloved mould-riddled teddy bear. BM
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Newfoundland
ST
JOHN'S — Reverberations
from coast to coast The BC Court of Appeal ruling
allowing a lawsuit to recover $10 billion in healthcare
costs from tobacco companies has boosted optimism in
Newfoundland for its own plans. In October, 2002, they
also filed court documents to test the validity and
constitutionality of its Tobacco Healthcare Costs Recovery
Act, but their court date hasn't yet been set. DSS
ST
JOHN'S — Hunt
for the missing links Memorial University researcher
Dr Patrick Parfrey has received a $71,600 grant from
the Canadian Cancer Society for research into colorectal
cancer. The most important risk factor is family history,
with up to 35% of cases attributed to inherited alterations
in certain genes. Many of these genes have been identified
but 20% to 50% of inherited colorectal cancers don't
have a genetic explanation. Dr Parfrey's research team
plans to look into finding the missing genes. DSS
Yukon
WHITEHORSE
— Brimful
of asha Travelling to a third world country can
often be humbling. That's what two Yukon nurses found
when they combined work with pleasure while backpacking
through India recently. Emily Woodruffe and Antonia
Manolis took their skills to a maternity ward in northeast
India where infant mortality is high, electricity rationed,
and basic supplies re-used to save money. Despite their
troubles, the staff hung a sign in the ward that says
"Asha," Hindi for hope. CS
Nunavut
IQALUIT
— Getting
connected Telehealth services will be expanded
to an additional seven communities in Nunavut, thanks
to $2.7 million in funding from the feds through the
Primary Healthcare Transition Fund. The system facilitates
consultations, long-distance family visits and videoconferences.
"It's a very effective tool, and it is welcomed by most
of the people in Nunavut," said Victor Tootoo, Nunavut's
Deputy Minister of Health. JG
Northwest Territories
YELLOWKNIFE
— Staying
put Nine disabled young adults from the NWT refuse
to leave their aboriginal group home in Edmonton even
though abuse charges have been filed against it. The
territorial government ended its contract with the home
last week and made arrangements for the youths to be
moved to another home. But they say they're staying
put, even though the government threatens to stop funding
their care. CS
Contributors: Paula Baker, Gail
Helgason, Jacqui Clydesdale, Joan Eyolfson Cadham, Jane
George, Jason K Gondziola,, Bill McGuire, Brian Hoyle,
Deanna Stokes-Sullivan, Carla Sparks
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