|
British
Columbia
VANCOUVER —
Biting the hand
that pets you BC health officials are advising
parents to wash their children's hands after visiting
petting zoos. The warning comes after six cases of E
Coli in Vancouver children. The kids came into contact
with animal feces after petting pigs and goats that
had rolled in their own filth. The infections resulted
in severe flu-like symptoms, but officials warn there's
a risk that beast-petting youngsters could develop serious
kidney infection. JKG
VANCOUVER
— Lucre
to tackle line-ups The BC government is investing
$5 million to improve access to cardiac care. The money
will go to the Provincial Health Services Authority,
which will team up with the other health authorities
to ensure residents have access to specialized services
like bypass surgery. The investment is the first in
a series designed to cut down surgical wait lists. JKG
Alberta
EDMONTON —
(Minimal)
invasion of the laparoscopic surgeons The Edmonton
Capital Health Region just recruited two top minimal
access surgery specialists. Dr Daniel Birch, fresh from
a post as associate director of Canada's only Centre
for Minimal Access Surgery in Hamilton, is joining the
minimal access surgery section at the Royal Alexandra
Hospital. Dr Cliff Sample, who recently completed advanced
laparoscopic surgery training in Ontario, joins the
minimal access surgery section at Grey Nuns Community
Hospital. GH
Saskatchewan
REGINA —
And they
are thine, O West Nile Saskatchewan has its first
human cases of West Nile this year — and there
are eight of them. Saskatchewan is the third province
to report cases. It's believed that five out of the
eight cases were due to mosquito bites — the other
three may have carried antibodies over the winter. The
eight cases are significantly lower than the 25 to 30
cases diagnosed at this time last year. CS
Manitoba
WINNIPEG —
Not waiting for
their doc to come in Facing a doctor shortage,
Sioux Valley natives took matters into their own hands
and hired their own physician, Dr Rajinder Sippy. In
the past, the First Nations people of the Sioux Valley
depended on nearby hospitals for healthcare. But those
hospitals have been facing cuts to services and staff.
Dr Sippy inked a two-year contract with Sioux Valley
and will offer care on a fee-for-service basis. CS
WINNIPEG
— Taking
a bite out of waiting times Our hospital queue
quandary could be affecting Canada's dental health.
Some 1,400 local toddlers in need of oral surgery for
tooth decay are on a 15-month waiting list. The procedure
is too tricky to be done in the dentist's office and
requires anesthesia. Winnipeg dental surgeon OR-time
has been cut from five days a month to only two. CS
|
Ontario
TORONTO —
Dead letter office
Results of an inquiry into the accidental mailing
of miscarried fetuses are in. The report calls for tougher
rules for hospitals when it comes to labelling and transporting
human tissue. In May, a hospital in Thunder Bay packed
the remains of miscarried fetuses in cardboard boxes
and mailed them back to the families instead of the
intended Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Hospital. PB
BRAMPTON
— Tisk,
tisk A Brampton doctor's licence has been suspended
after the provincial medical watchdog found him guilty
of having an "intense emotional relationship" with a
31-year-old patient. Dr Vasilios Kavouris was hit with
a nine-month suspension for professional misconduct.
In her complaint with the College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Ontario the patient, 'Linda,' charged Dr
Kavouris of having an 18-month relationship with her.
'Linda,' taking cues from Linda Tripp, took to recording
phone conversations with the doctor when the affair
was running out of steam. CS
Quebec
MONTREAL —
New crew
to assail the C difficile Infectious disease
control teams have started to gather data to track the
spread of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Clostridium
difficile. A new secure, internet-based surveillance
system will help doctors keep track of cases. Outbreaks
of the bacterium have caused close to 200 deaths in
Quebec hospitals in the past 18 months. CS
MONTREAL
— Prions
cowering in fear? A Quebec biopharmaceutical
firm claims to have developed a process to screen blood
for prions — the proteins behind mad cow disease.
The company, ProMetic Life Sciences, created a chemical
filter that is inserted into the membrane of blood bags
when they're manufactured. The filter then binds to
prions in the blood and collects any residue. These
special blood bags cost between $25 US and $50 US a
piece. CS
New
Brunswick
FREDERICTON —
Clearing the air
on the antismoking law The details of New Brunswick's
new antismoking policy, set to take effect this fall,
are now public. The Smoke-Free Places Act was adopted
on June 30, 2004 and outlines which public places will
be subject to the new law, including restaurants, pubs
and hotels. For more information go to the government
of New Brunswick's website. JC
FREDERICTON
— The
skinny on childhood obesity New Brunswick's high
number of overweight, obese and inactive children are
the focus of a new program called LEAP at the Kinesiology
Department of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
Dr Gabriella Tymowski will head a team of psychologists,
dieticians, nurses and physical activity specialists
looking for ways to inspire children to eat healthy
and be active. JC
|
