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British Columbia
VICTORIA
— Tallying
up strike costs The Lower Mainland health authorities
are reporting that the strike by the BC Hospital Employees'
Union (HEU), which ended May 4, cost the system nearly
$4 million. They're asking that the HEU pay for the
financial losses incurred during the illegal strike,
including wages for extra non-unionized staff, and the
cost of catching up on surgeries and procedures that
were cancelled. The HEU has other troubles on its plate
— a Supreme Court judge has ruled that they're
guilty of contempt of court for defying a Labour Relations
Board back-to-work order; there's a good chance they'll
be fined. CS
VANCOUVER
— Out-of-province
storks The province's lack of special care beds
for sick infants are resulting in some pregnant mothers
being sent out-of-province to have their babies, says
one of BC's top pediatricians. Dr Todd Sorokan says
that some mothers who are about to deliver premature
babies need to be airlifted to Alberta or Seattle because
the two Lower Mainland hospitals' PICUs have been full
to capacity. PB
Alberta
EDMONTON
— You'll
just have to wait Edmonton's hospitals are fighting
an uphill battle in their effort to reduce MRI waiting
times. Close to 8,000 people are on the waiting list
for their scan, despite the fact that millions of dollars
have been spent on improving the system. The average
wait for a scan is 187 days. CS
EDMONTON
— More
cash in the coffers Alberta doctors received
an average payout of $235,426 from the Alberta Health
Care Insurance Plan in 2002/03. That amount represents
an increase of $26,493 or 12.7% from the previous year.
The average payment to specialists was $288,969, an
increase of more 14.3%. The number of specialists earning
more than $500,000 totalled 323, representing 13.8%
of the province's specialists. GH
Saskatchewan
SASKATOON
— Manipulating
treatment? Sharon Mathieson, the mother of a
local woman who died after having a visit to her chiropractor
for neck pain, is asking Health Minister John Nilson
to call a moratorium on this kind of neck manipulations,
which have been linked to fatal strokes, paralysis and
other brain injuries in the past. Ms Mathieson is specifically
asking that manipulations between the skull and top
two vertebrae be temporarily halted. Most neurologists
and pediatricians across Canada agree with her. CS
Manitoba
WINNIPEG
— Doer
tries for a done deal Manitoba Premier Gary Doer
isn't giving up hope that the planned national disease
control centre will end up in Winnipeg — even if
Dr David Naylor, the man in charge of establishing the
centre, wants it in Ottawa. The ace up Premier Doer's
sleeve is the fact that Canada's only level-four lab
is in Winnipeg and that having the centre in Manitoba
would allow independence from political decisions. The
'Peg' has some competition, though: Vancouver is also
wooing the centre. CS
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Ontario
TORONTO
— More
dough for the disabled Prime Minister Paul Martin
and Premier Dalton McGuinty have signed a deal that
will result in an extra $20 million in funding for services
for disabled persons. Ottawa's initial $10 million in
additional funding was matched by Queen's Park. The
money will be used to find jobs for people with disabilities
and give them the support in the workplace. CS
TORONTO
— Something
for Sandy Liberal MPP Ernie Parsons has poured
his heart and soul into the most recent bill to be admitted
a second reading in the legislature. The bill is known
as 'Sandy's Law' in memory of his 25-year-old son who
died from complications of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
in January. The bill would amend the Liquor Licence
Act and require stores selling liquor to post warnings
about the dangers of drinking when pregnant. CS
Quebec
QUEBEC
CITY — Pulling
the plug Health Minister Philippe Couillard has
put a stop to a controversial contract between Montreal's
Hotel Dieu Hospital and the Medisys Health Group, which
runs private health clinics across Canada. The contract
allowed Medisys to use Hotel Dieu's PET scan —
purchased with hospital foundation funds without government
approval — for private purposes. Medisys offered
the scan in three to four days for $2,500; through medicare
the wait would be close to three months. CS
WINDSOR
— From
bad to worse The Windsor health centre emergency
room, which has been forced to close its doors one day
a week since losing a physician, will be facing more
cuts to operating hours. This summer the health centre
will only be open three days a week due to doctors taking
vacation time. Richard Arsenault, president of the health
centre, says that the decreased hours in the ER will
put more pressure on Sherbrooke hospital centres. CS
New Brunswick
ST
JOHN — Fleshing
it out An outbreak of the necrotizing fasciitis
infection or flesh eating disease has hit a local hospital.
The disease killed one woman, 37, within 24 hours of
her diagnosis. Another patient is in serious condition
and five others have been put in isolation. Regional
health officials, along with Health Canada, are looking
for the source of the outbreak. The situation is under
control, according to Dr Jim O'Brien of the Atlantic
Health Sciences Corporation, no new cases have developed.
CS
FREDERICTON —
More jobs
on the chopping block Premier
Bernard Lord's plan to cut healthcare costs "behind
the scenes" in a bid to maintain direct access on the
front lines has resulted in 106 lay offs, effective
May 31. The full-time workers and managers in public
and mental health are being laid off at a time when
regional health authorities are being given more control
and responsibility in those areas across the province.
JC
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