health
Cryptosporidium confirmed in Kashechewan First Nation water treatment plant, 63 test positive for parasite
Water from Kashechewan First Nation’s treatment plant has tested positive for cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes gastrointestinal issues, and 63 people have also tested positive as the crisis has led to the evacuation of most of the 2,300 residents. An official and a resident say it’s bringing back bad memories of an E. coli outbreak […]
India reports 2 Nipah virus infections. What the infection is and how it spreads
India has confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus. Here are answers on what the virus is and what happened in previous outbreaks in Asian countries. Source link
B.C. government struck compromise with assisted dying policy, court hears
The B.C. government’s policy on medical assistance in dying involved striking a compromise between faith-based health-care providers who didn’t want to allow the procedure in their buildings and complying with Canada’s assisted dying laws, B.C. Supreme Court heard this week. Source link
I used to focus on my patients' health. Now with ICE, I worry about their safety
Justin Ho is a Canadian studying dentistry in Minneapolis. He was taught to treat a patient regardless of who they are. After recent events in the U.S., he’s realized that health care cannot be disentangled from the politics of the day. Source link
Millions of Canadian homes have high levels of cancer-causing radon. Is yours one of them?
A long-awaited update to Canada’s national building code requires newly built homes to include a type of radon mitigation system. But what about the millions of existing homes that are at risk of having high radon levels? And how do you know if your own house is a danger zone? Source link
Why do 3 major diseases disproportionately impact Black Canadians? New genome project aims to find out
Researchers in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia are launching a project to map more than 10,000 genomes from Black Canadians with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and an aggressive form of breast cancer. Project leaders hope their findings eventually help target treatment and preventive care and contribute to better health outcomes for racialized patients. […]
Canadian doctors say they’re losing 20 million hours a year to unnecessary paperwork
Doctors in Canada each spend, on average, nine hours per week on administrative tasks, totaling 42.7 million hours annually across the country, according to a new report from the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Source link
'Please don't let me die': Calgary patients recount long waits in emergency rooms
Two stories from Calgary women who say they endured lengthy ER waits while facing life-threatening emergencies are “the tip of the iceberg,” according to one physician. Source link
New single-day record for paramedic calls to B.C. drug poisonings, stats show
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has issued a province-wide drug alert, noting new substances in the unregulated drug supply are putting people at risk province-wide. Source link
As B.C. moves to expand use of involuntary care, Ombudsperson report highlights gaps
The B.C. Ombudsperson has released a report showing that required forms, authorizing the use of involuntary care for mental health issues, weren’t filled out in many cases across the province. Source link