The acrid stench of gasoline permeates the air. And the soot coats everything in sight: the trees, the bushes, even the snow in winter. And all day long, explosions send the birds soaring to safety. At Fort McKay near Fort McMurray in western Canada, in the heart of the country’s boreal forest, the pines and … Read more
Emergency room doctors say patients are experiencing “dangerous” wait times in ERs across the country and it’s time federal and provincial governments stop pointing fingers over the “crisis” in health care and instead come up with solutions. Hospitals across Canada are experiencing a “perfect storm” of pressures that have resulted in overcrowded emergency departments and … Read more
Montreal family doctor Claudel Petrin-Desrosiers sees climate change as an all-encompassing “risk amplifier.” She says it raises the potential for hazard across the board, from threatening the most basic health determinants, such as air quality and access to food and water, to exacerbating seasonal allergies and tick-borne Lyme disease. Petrin-Desrosiers, president of the Quebec chapter … Read more
Canada’s premiers are dialing up the political heat in their efforts to get Ottawa to increase federal health transfers to the provinces and territories. The premiers have launched a new advertising campaign through the Council of the Federation, which comprises all 13 provincial and territorial premiers, aimed at ratcheting up public pressure on Prime Minister … Read more
Canada’s chief public health officer says she is preparing for “worst-case scenario” COVID-19 variants, as early signs show a fall resurgence of the virus. At the House of Commons health committee, Dr. Theresa Tam says the Public Health Agency of Canada is keeping a careful eye on the evolution of Omicron variants, which are the … Read more
When the singer-songwriter school took shape at the close of the 1960s, two expatriate Canadians, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, rose to the head of the class. Try to name another Canadian from the singer-songwriter movement. You may come up with Leonard Cohen or Gordon Lightfoot. If you are an actual Canadian, you may even … Read more
At a ceremony in August, Dr. Alika Lafontaine was formally introduced as the new president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) — the first Indigenous leader in the top job. It was not a typical gathering of physicians in Canada, and not only because there were Indigenous elders there, giving prayers and songs of blessing. … Read more
The Public Health Canada Agency of Canada will provide an update on COVID-19 vaccines Friday. Starting with a briefing at 11 a.m. ET and followed by an announcement at 12:30 p.m. ET, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, will highlight the importance of the vaccine alongside other Canadian government health officials, according to an Oct. 6 media … Read more
Critics and parents are calling for action to address an ongoing shortage of some kids’ pain and fever medications ahead of flu season and a potential new COVID-19 wave. Federal Conservative health critic Michael Barrett says the government has failed to do enough to ensure adequate supplies of children’s medications containing acetaminophen and ibuprofen. He … Read more
Emergency physician Dr. Raghu Venugopal doesn’t mince words when describing the realities his patients have been facing in the emergency departments in which he works in Toronto. “It’s really a dire situation,” he said after a recent shift in the ER. Wait times are “exceedingly long” for even the most urgent care, with some patients … Read more