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British Columbia
Hockey helmet protects
necks
VANCOUVER —
Children's neck
injuries from hockey checking may soon be far less common
in the nation's EDs, thanks to a new kind of helmet
designed by UBC orthopedic surgeons and engineers. The
Pro-Neck-Tor is identical to any other helmet except
in head-on impacts, in which tests have found the Pro-Neck-Tor's
moving inner shell reduces direct force to the neck
by 56%.
Hot
Spot
Alberta
Gov't downplays
public health exodus
EDMONTON —
Why did Alberta's most senior public health physicians
suddenly quit? That question was on the tip of everyone's
tongue last month after the acting provincial health
officer and three others opted not to renew their contracts.
Health Minister Ron Liepert downplayed the incident
and said the doctors simply wouldn't accept the province's
salaries, but some experts suggested the incident is
a sign of major discontent in the public health department.
AB
belatedly hops HPV bandwagon
EDMONTON —
After much lobbying by doctors and other medical professionals,
Alberta finally announced a provincially funded human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program for school-age
girls. All nine other provinces had already moved ahead
with HPV immunization plans.
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Saskatchewan
MDs denounce acute
care merger
SASKATOON —
A Saskatoon Health Region plan to consolidate acute-care
services in three hospitals into just two has drawn
criticism from hundreds of doctors, nurses, lab techs
and other healthcare workers. A petition was circulated
to urge health officials to keep the half-day emergency
room at City Hospital, but the government says the decision
is final.
Manitoba
Kopp still a suspect:
new book
WINNIPEG —
A new nonfiction book, Sniper, provides an intimate
picture of James Kopp, the man convicted of killing
a Buffalo, NY, abortion doctor. Mr Kopp is also suspected
in the shootings of Manitoba abortion doc Dr Jack Fainman
and two other Canadian abortion doctors. Hamilton Spectator
reporter Jon Wells's interviews, however, failed to
elicit an answer about Mr Kopp's involvement in those
three attacks. Canadian police haven't had any better
luck of late: Mr Kopp refused to be interviewed twice
this year.
Ontario
College welcomes
forced change
TORONTO —
As part of a new government strategy to improve access
to health professionals and remove barriers preventing
IMGs from being licensed to practise, Bill 97 was introduced
last month. The bill would force mandate changes on
all health professional regulatory bodies, including
the Ontario College — which supports the new legislation.
Opposition parties argue the one-sentence law doesn't
go far enough.
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