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Showing posts from November, 2022

Ontario apologizes to miners, families for harm caused by McIntyre Powder

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Ontario's labour minister gave a long-awaited apology Wednesday afternoon to mine workers who were exposed to McIntyre Powder for over three decades and their families.

Parents of kids with disabilities demand similar support as B.C. restores autism funding

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Parents and advocates for children with disabilities other than autism are demanding support for their families after the B.C. government scrapped plans to overhaul its autism funding model.

Aging population, pandemic swelled ranks of health-care workers by 204,000, census says

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And aging population and the strees of managing the pandemic saw the ranks of Canada's health care workers swell by 204,000 between 2016 and 2021 according to newly released census numbers.

Man says it's 'unbelievable' he and 14 others got expired COVID vaccines at Sask. pharmacy

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A Regina man is angry after learning he, his wife and about a dozen others were recently injected with expired COVID-19 vaccines.

Ontario auditor general's annual report to explore COVID contracts, province's vaccination program

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Ontario's auditor general is set to release her annual report Wednesday, including audits on COVID-19-related contracts and procurement, as well as the province's vaccination program.

Staff redeployment possible as Alberta Children's Hospital struggles with wave of sick kids

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Health officials are working on plans to redeploy staff, if needed, as Alberta Children's Hospital struggles to keep up with ballooning demand.

Ontario court strikes down law limiting wages for public sector workers

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An Ontario court has struck down a law that limited wages for public sector workers.

Revoking driver's licences due to dementia a delicate process, says P.E.I. Highway Safety

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P.E.I. has a number of systems in place to detect people unsafe to drive because of dementia, and is not planning on introducing some of the heavier measures in place in other provinces.

Just how strict are China's COVID-19 rules?

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At the outbreak of the pandemic, China set out "zero-COVID" measures that were harsh, but not out of line with other countries. While most other countries saw the regulations as temporary until vaccines were available, China has stuck steadfastly to its strategy. Here are some of their regulations.

Dean hired to lead new medical school at Simon Fraser University

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The province has announced the dean that will lead a new medical school at Simon Fraser University.

WHO says it's using 'mpox' to avoid racist monkeypox name

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The World Health Organization has renamed monkeypox as mpox, citing concerns the original name of the decades-old animal disease could be construed as discriminatory and racist.

B.C. announces plan to license more internationally trained doctors

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B.C. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced several new measures to attract more doctors to the province Sunday. Over one million people in British Columbia don't have a family doctor and the health care system is dealing with ongoing staff shortages.

Dementia and driving website designed to help with 'emotional and challenging' decision

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Anyone diagnosed with dementia will eventually have to make the decision whether it is safe for them to continue driving, but that inevitability doesn’t make the decision any easier.

'Safe, inclusive and judgment free': How a Thunder Bay group is making space for adults with autism

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The Rowan Tree Collective is a privately funded non-profit that offers a space for young adults with autism and other exceptionalities to grow, socialize and learn outside of the standard post-secondary education and job settings.

If you don't have a family doctor, Quebec wants you to use this system before going to ER

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About 1.2 million Quebecers are without a family doctor. The province wants them to know about a new phone and online service that will provide them with medical advice and, if necessary, book an appointment with a general practitioner.

Ontario food banks fear rising demand will outpace supply, decades after they were deemed temporary

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Food banks started in Canada in the early 1980s as a temporary response to the recession. Over 40 years later, they're more important than ever, with a new report by Feed Ontario saying the number of people seeking help and the number of visits are only rising.

Virtual clinic providing critical care to trans patients at risk due to Ontario funding changes

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Connect-Clinic offers hormone therapy and surgery referrals for transgender and gender-diverse people across Ontario through virtual appointments. As of next month, it will no longer accept new patients due to changes in Ontario's funding agreement with doctors.

Ukrainian doctors were performing heart surgery on a child. Then the power went out

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Doctors in Kyiv were performing open-heart surgery on a 14-year-old boy Wednesday when the lights suddenly flickered off.

Front-line workers seeing more amputations in Edmonton homeless community

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An emergency room physician is among front-line workers calling for more shelter space and the collection of data after seeing more amputations in Edmonton's homeless community.

Federal government to extend EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks

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The federal government is extending employment insurance sickness benefits to 26 weeks, up from 15 weeks, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough announced on Friday.

Ontario parents will have to pay to use a virtual pediatric clinic starting next month

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Parents and health-care experts are speaking out after learning a round-the clock online pediatric service that's helped keep sick children out of overflowing Ontario hospitals will no longer be free starting Dec. 1. 

New mRNA vaccine targeting all known flu strains shows early promise

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A new mRNA vaccine targeting all known flu strains in a single shot is showing early promise in animal studies and is opening the door to a wide range of possibilities with the vaccine technology — including potentially preventing the next influenza pandemic. 

Screen time limits for toddlers dropped in new Canadian guidelines

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The Canadian Paediatric Society has ditched setting firm time limits for screen use among toddlers and preschoolers, encouraging instead that parents prioritize educational, interactive and age-appropriate material.

Ottawa mom 'so happy' free medical devices enabling daughter to recover at home

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An Ontario lending program that provides medical equipment for patients with complex needs and helps free up hospital beds is struggling to keep up with this autumn's demand.

Measles an imminent global threat due to pandemic, CDC and WHO say

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There is now an imminent threat of measles spreading in various regions globally, as COVID-19 led to a steady decline in vaccination coverage and weakened surveillance of the disease, the World Health Organization and U.S. CDC say.

'Our children are suffering': Federal health minister calls for COVID, flu shots for kids

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With respiratory infections hitting the health system hard, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Wednesday that more children need to get their COVID-19 and influenza shots to help tamp down on surging hospital admissions.

Parents fear 'crisis' in children's care after several Ontario hospitals cancel surgeries

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In the wake of news that three Ontario children's hospitals have cancelled surgeries, dozens of parents are sharing their stories about how the onslaught of viruses this fall has affected their families, and question whether enough is being done to address the "crisis" in care.

Quebec nurses relieved government seems ready to back down on doubling their workload

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Earlier this year the CAQ government forced some part-time nurses to start working full-time, prompting some to quit. Now health minister Christian Dubé says the measure didn't work out as well as he'd hoped, and he's open to change.

Hospital will only fine patients who refuse long-term care spots as a last resort, CEO says

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The head of Windsor Regional Hospital says that fining patients for remaining in their hospital beds rather than going to a designated long-term care facility will only come after several steps are taken.

'We're just bombarded with illness': Prairies see highest rates of positive flu tests in Canada

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Prairie provinces have the worst rates of positive flu tests, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

How 2 university students are fitting in at Quebec City seniors' residence

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Two Université Laval students are living in a Quebec City seniors’ residence as part of an intergenerational cohabitation program.

An Alberta paramedic responded to a car crash. She only learned later the dying victim was her daughter

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An Alberta paramedic who responded to a car crash not knowing her own daughter was the victim says she’s remembering the teenager as a creative, fierce “firecracker.” 

Alberta government to remove cap on doctor daily visits

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When Dr. Omid Pour-Ahmadi arrives each day at the SantiMed Family and Walk-In Clinic in northeast Calgary, he’s greeted by a line-up of patients – and some of them have been waiting for hours.

Mother of man who died in police custody supports proposed Halifax sobering centre

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Jeannette Rogers believes if there was a sobering centre in Halifax, her son may be alive today.

Nunavut and Ontario join federal effort to boost number of organ and tissue donors

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Nunavut and Canada’s most populous province have agreed to take part in a federal initiative to ensure the viability of Canada’s organ and tissue donation system. 

Ontario could face Charter challenge over law forcing some elderly hospital patients into nursing homes

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Health-care advocates say they are preparing a possible constitutional challenge to an Ontario law that allows some discharged elderly hospital patients to be forced into a nursing home they did not choose.

B.C. Premier David Eby tackles public safety in sweeping set of new measures

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Premier David Eby has announced a range of new measures related to public safety in B.C. communities, in one of his first major policy announcements since taking office.

Western University is building Canada's secret weapon against the next pandemic

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Western University in London, Ont., is building a state-of-the-art laboratory where researchers will pre-emptively create new vaccines, tactics and materials in order to fight a wide range of existing and emergent viral threats.

B.C. doesn't provide counts of COVID-19 reinfections. Some experts say that's a problem

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Infectious disease experts say B.C.'s decision to not count COVID-19 reinfections in weekly case updates may be painting an incomplete picture of the impact of the disease on British Columbians.

Why 'stay home when sick' matters so much right now

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The "stay home when sick" message came before "mask up" to prevent spread early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that flu and other viruses have joined the mix, the original advice holds true more than ever, some Canadian doctors say.

Canada's push to 'poach' nurses from abroad fuels fears of shortages in developing countries

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As Canada and other wealthy countries scramble to hire nurses from overseas, there are growing concerns that the exodus of health-care workers from developing countries will push their stretched medical systems closer to a crisis point.

Trauma was my gateway drug. Love was my pathway back

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Maria Volk shares a raw account of how she fell into addiction over the grief of losing her brother and what it took to find the strength to recover.

1 million bottles of children's pain, fever medication coming to Canadian shelves

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Canada is importing a million bottles of foreign-produced children's pain and fever medication to help ease a months-long shortage, with products expected to begin arriving on store shelves next week, federal officials announced on Friday.

Family physician sentenced to 4-year prison term for largest doctor billing fraud in Alberta history

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Dr. Yifei Shi, 35, admits that in 2016 she defrauded the Alberta government of $827,077 through false billings. The family physician has been ordered to repay Alberta Health and serve a four-year prison term.

B.C. pastor found 'liable' for hosting worship service as court battles over COVID mandates rage

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A B.C. judge has found a Chilliwack pastor "liable" for holding a worship service in breach of the province's old COVID-19 orders — but a conviction for a $2,300 ticket won't be entered until the court has considered a constitutional challenge. 

Federal dental benefit officially becomes law

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The first stage of the Canada Dental Benefit officially became law Thursday night after Bill C-31 passed its final reading in the Senate and received royal assent from Governor General Mary Simon.

Why a winter free of COVID restrictions may not be a relief for all

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There may be fewer COVID-related restrictions in place this winter that limit social interactions, but that doesn't mean there are fewer concerns among some seniors who worry that returning to normal indoor gatherings may put their health at risk.

Sask. paramedic on psychological injury leave warns of mental health impact of strained system

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Saskatchewan is facing a provincewide shortage of ambulances, as well as long wait times for EMS responses, according to the province's largest health-care union. It's having a major affect on the mental health of paramedics.

Prosecutors seek 15-year jail term as Theranos's Elizabeth Holmes faces sentencing

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A U.S. federal judge on Friday will decide whether disgraced Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes should serve a lengthy prison sentence for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing technology.

Ontario health minister insists province was ready for respiratory illness surge as hospitals struggle

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Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones repeated Thursday that the government was prepared for a surge in respiratory illnesses in children this fall, as hospitals struggle with unprecedented demand for care made more challenging by continued staffing shortages.

Outgoing B.C. premier offers to act as bridge-builder in health-care funding debate

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Outgoing B.C. Premier John Horgan says he’s offered to act as an intermediary between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers on the thorny topic of health-care funding once he leaves office.