Fraser Health announces new president and CEO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Saskatoon sees 20 overdose deaths since January
Primary care paramedics with the Saskatoon Fire Department are equipped with naloxone, which can restore breathing to someone experiencing a fentanyl or opioid overdose. (Alex Pankratz/CTV Saskatoon) Data from Saskatchewan Coroners Service (SCS) shows 210 people have died from overdose in Saskatchewan since January, including 20 in Saskatoon. This represents an eight per cent decrease from last year, with 229 overdoses in Saskatchewan. ADVERTISEMENT A point-in-time report from Jan. 1 to July 31 by the SCS shows 96 deaths in 2025 are confirmed as drug toxicity deaths, with 114 others suspected to be drug toxicity deaths. SCS' statistics show Para-fluorofentanyl has been the biggest contributor to these deaths, claiming the lives of 40 people. It's followed by fentanyl with 33 deaths, and carfentanyl with 30 deaths. Other substances involved include methylfentanyl (29 deaths,) acetyl fentanyl (10 deaths,) methadone (six deaths,) codeine (five deaths,) morphine (four deaths,) and hydromorphone (three deaths.) 'These are not just numbers - they represent family members, friends, and neighbors, each deeply missed,' Prairie Harm Reduction said. 'While overdoses continue to devastate families across Saskatchewan, governments at all levels have remained largely silent. That silence is not acceptable. The overdose epidemic cannot be addressed in isolation - the province, municipalities, and frontline organizations must work together if we are to save lives.' Saskatoon saw a surge in overdose calls in March, with over 435 incidents in just 18 days. 'There would be a worry that the [fentanyl] supply could get to Regina, or Prince Albert, or across the across the province,' Saskatoon Police Insp. Erin Coates said in a press conference in March, when police arrested 25 people related to fentanyl trafficking. To honour those lost, Prairie Harm Reduction will host a vigil Aug. 31 in Saskatoon, which also marks International Overdose Awareness Day.
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs
The B.C. Conservatives have demanded the NDP government provide a 'clear' status update on a four-year-old review that urged changes to the province's expensive rare-disease drug system. They have also called for the public release of the review and timelines for implementing its recommendations. The review — which was not made public — was obtained by Postmedia independently after the B.C. government refused to provide a copy. 'The leak of this four-year-old review is frustrating — but it confirms exactly what we've been saying since February,' said Brennan Day, the Conservative critic for rural and seniors' health. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Families like Charleigh Pollock's were left in the dark, forced to fight for life-changing treatments while bureaucrats sat on recommendations that could have prevented this. Transparency is not a website. It's real oversight, real engagement, and a system that works for patients — not just for the bureaucracy,' said Day, who is the MLA for Courtenay-Comox. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne have called for an overhaul of the expensive drug treatment for rare diseases approval process after their government faced public backlash for discontinuing the $800,000-a-year drug treatment for 10-year-old Pollock, who has an incurable degenerative disease. When the government reversed their decision last month — against the advice of its own 58-member advisory committee — Eby said it was obvious the system was not working. But the B.C. government had already received recommendations in 2021 for better transparency, clearer communication and stronger decision-making when it comes to funding and treating rare diseases with expensive drugs. These are the same areas that Eby and Osborne said need to be addressed. The review noted there was 'urgency' to making changes because spending on expensive rare-disease drugs was expected to grow significantly , to an estimated $600 million annually by the end of the decade. Day said the NDP government should release the full 2021 review with a status update on what has and hasn't been implemented. He also called for a public timeline to fully implement the outstanding recommendations, prioritizing oversight, transparency and patient engagement. Day also said that families need to be included in conversations and decisions that directly affect access to their expensive rare-disease drug treatments. Few of the 2021 review's recommendations have been implemented, according to those familiar with the report. The B.C. Ministry of Health has told Postmedia the 'majority' of the report's recommendations have been implemented or 'are part of ongoing work.' However, officials pointed only to only two that have been completed out of more than 300 recommendations: an expensive drug for rare disease web page it said supports transparency; and the establishment of an appeal process. The recommendations on transparency in the report — there are 39 mentions — go well beyond a website. They also involve increasing oversight, setting standards, establishing public engagement and a major communication plan. ghoekstra@
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Grand Erie Public Health reports first confirmed flu case of the season
Flu season is off to an early start in southwestern Ontario. On Wednesday, Grand Erie Public Health announced its first confirmed case of influenza A for the 2025-2026 respiratory season. ADVERTISEMENT Cases are not usually reported until the fall. Grand Erie Public Health they had 608 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu across the Haldimand, Norfolk, Brantford and the County of Brant throughout the 2024-2025 season. How to protect yourself from the flu Influenza A is a serious illness that impacts the respiratory system. It can be transmitted to others two to five days after the onset of symptoms in adults. For children, the infectious period ranges from two to seven days. Symptoms include fever, cough, muscle ache, headache, sore throat, fatigue and loss of appetite. Grand Erie Public Health said the best prevention is the flu shot, which is available free to everyone six months and older who lives, works or attends school in Ontario. Flu shots will be offered to high-risk individuals in early to mid-October, including people who are pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised. They will be widely available in by the end of October. Grand Erie Public Health also shared the following tips for preventing flu transmission:
