Alberta Patients Challenge Government Monopoly on Health Care
Two patient cases challenging the Alberta government’s monopoly on health care will be heard at the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary on June 25, 2013. I’m making the trip from Saskatchewan to Alberta because I want to hear firsthand the government’s argument for upholding legislation that prohibits individuals from acting in the... [Read more]
Canadian Patients Need to Wash Their Hands
The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) celebrated its third annual STOP! Clean Your Hands Day on May 6, 2013. On this day, public hospitals across the country encourage their health care providers to wash their hands to reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections. I would have thought that health care professionals working in hospitals know when and... [Read more]
Saskatchewan Government Denies Patient Out-of-Country Coverage for Medically Necessary Surgery
What if a medical product that was supposed to help your condition ended up causing you harm? In 2010 Health Canada issued an advisory to hospitals and doctors warning about serious post-operative complications with transvaginal mesh. This information came too late for Stephanie Brad, a Saskatchewan woman who received a transvaginal mesh implant in 2006 to help... [Read more]
Alberta Medical Association Says Contract Negotiations Not Just About Money
Contract disputes and strikes are commonplace in universal health care systems throughout the world whether it’s Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Greece, South Africa or India. Wherever government controls access to doctors and hospitals you’ll find patients who are caught in the middle of disputes over rising prices and declining quality. Here... [Read more]
Critical Incidents Raise Questions About the Standard of Care in Manitoba Hospitals
Recent media coverage on critical incidents involving two patients in Manitoba is raising questions about the standard of care provided to patients in hospitals. In 2008 Jacqueline Johnson’s bowel was perforated during surgery at Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg. In 2011 Kim Bernshine’s bowel was perforated during surgery at St. Boniface General... [Read more]