When poverty is the disease, money is the most effective prescription
Dr. Gary Bloch’s patients suffer from a health condition to which many doctors believe there is no prescription – money. Bloch became obsessed with this question, and at one time…
opseudiablogue
New CMA president-elect looks to Scotland as model of improvement
Kingston’s Dr. Chris Simpson has been acclaimed president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association. His term as President begins August 2014. Simpson is professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at…
SBGHC — Rosebush sets objective to balance budget without cuts to staff or services
If there has been one good news story this summer it’s this: CEO Paul Rosebush sent a memo to all physicians and staff at his South Bruce Grey Health Centre…
Tainted — Play a timely intervention on the paid plasma issue
A generation has passed since more than 30,000 Canadians became infected with HIV and hepatitis C through the blood system. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Justice Horace Krever’s…
Injunction may help CCACs find more time to prepare for physiotherapy transfers
In some ways the injunction filed by the Designated Physiotherapy Clinics Association of Ontario may have been a blessing in disguise. As of August 1st OHIP funding for these private…
Kingston mental health cuts: things have changed since 1998
When Ontario last drafted a strategic plan for the delivery of comprehensive mental health services, the Mental Health Commission of Canada didn’t even exist. Today we are still implementing mental…
Kingston psychiatric hospital sheds about a fifth of its workforce to cope with $6 million cut
KINGSTON – Facing $6 million in budget cuts, Providence Care is telling staff today of one of the biggest job losses in the history of the former Kingston Psychiatric hospital.…
Home care safety report at odds with new directions at OACCAC
By now every Ontarian has heard how hospitals are unsafe. Patients are told the shorter the stay, the less risk, in order the help them understand the need to vacate…
Confused and inconsistent PC position on health generates a big “huh?”
The Ontario Tories may want to look further than Tim Hudak for reasons behind their by-election losses over the summer. True, the PC leader consistently ranks behind the other two…
Significant blood shortage occurring before rival competes for arms
Back in April Dr. Graham Sher appeared unconcerned about having to compete for donors against a rival organization willing to pay for what his Canadian Blood Services receives for free.…
Best of Diablogue in 2013 (so far)
It’s time for our annual summer break here at the Diablogue. This year our readership has almost doubled from 2012 and more than tripled from our humble beginnings in 2010.…
Blood Services — Has Dr. Sher ever heard of the precautionary principle?
Dr. Graham Sher has to be the most confident guy on the planet. While experts around the world are cautious about making safety claims regarding blood-based products, the CEO of…
Will by-elections become referendum on hospital cuts in Scarborough, Ottawa?
Five provincial by-elections could be a referendum on changes to the health care system that are starving local hospitals. Two of these contests are in ridings where hospital cuts have…
Scarborough/Rouge: Surprising merger talk despite evidence pointing to higher costs
When the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) asked the Scarborough and Rouge Valley hospitals to work together to plan hospital services in the eastern most part of Toronto,…
Health Canada “consultation” on paid plasma less than adequate
The issue of paid plasma donations in Canada has taken a new development. It didn’t take long between the publishing of our joint letter in the Hill Times and the…
Heartless — cuts to refugee health care
On June 17 Canadian Doctors For Refugee Care conducted demonstrations across Canada drawing attention to the Harper government’s 2012 changes to the Interim Federal Health Plan that would deny many…
Conservatives vs. Conservatives – Anti-union bill gets gutted in Canadian Senate
When the Federal Tories took “progressive” out of their title after merging with the Reform Party, it was inevitable that the radical right wing ideology of the Reformers would come…
Road trip looks at how dangerous Conservative election plank plays out in real life
We’ve previously written on the folly of the provincial Conservatives in pursuing American-style labour legislation that would erode the standard of living for most Ontarians. Making most of us poorer…
Make history — meet us in Niagara-on-the-lake July 24-25
It’s the last meeting of the provincial Premiers before the 10-year 2004 health accord expires. With the expiry of that accord, so too goes any concerted effort to implement a…
Privately-developed London mental health hospitals justified by massive “risk” calculations
Evaluating value-for-money on a privatized public infrastructure project has always been a bit of a mugs game. A value-for-money (VFM) assessment is produced every time the province engages the private…