Bringing healthcare to those in need
Each year, almost a quarter of a million Canadians experience homelessness. CTV'S health reporter, Pauline Chan reports on one program that has found success giving vital care to those in need.
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CBC
43 minutes ago
- CBC
Nova Scotia Health approaching goal of reduced surgical waitlist
The interim head of the provincial health authority says enough progress has been made to reduce the surgical backlog in Nova Scotia that she's not looking over her shoulder. In December of 2022, Karen Oldfield vowed before the legislature's health committee — first asking for a Bible to swear upon before crossing her heart in the absence of the Good Book — that the backlog would be reduced by 10,000 people by mid-2025. At the time, the list stood at about 22,000 people. Such a decrease would bring the province in line with national benchmarks for surgical waitlists. "I'm not going to hell," Oldfield joked with reporters Friday following an appearance on a panel at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce luncheon to discuss innovation in health care. "We are 1,500 surgeries away from what we would consider to be an appropriate [waitlist]. With any luck, we will hit that this year." Waitlist dropping year over year Statistics released by Nova Scotia Health show the province's waitlist as of April 1 of this year was 15,769 people. That's down from 17,369 people the same time the year before, and 19,917 people as of April 1, 2023. The procedures with the largest number of people waiting are cataract extraction (3,564), knee replacement (1,274) and hip replacement (783). Oldfield said the progress comes down to the health authority's ability to make a plan and stick to it. "There's no magic," she said. "It's focus and discipline to do it." Although the health authority announced in 2023 a premium for doctors willing to work outside traditional hours in order to cut into the backlog, Oldfield said the biggest factor in making progress has been getting staffing levels back to where they needed to be coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We did lose a lot of staff. Not just because of COVID, but people — they burn out, they age out, they retire. So we've been through a period of resurgence." Oldfield said she would like to see more surgeries happening during off-hours, but there needs to be a certain level of staffing to be able to make that work and take full advantage of available operating room time and equipment. "When we have assets, you want to use your assets," she said. "And when they sit idle, that's not a good thing. So we still have lots of time across the province that these could be used."
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Halifax police warn about ‘dangerous drug' seized during traffic stop
Police in the Halifax area are warning the public about a 'dangerous drug combination' seized during a traffic stop in April. Halifax Regional Police officers pulled over a suspected impaired driver near Sea King Drive and Albro Lake Road around 3:30 a.m. on April 20. Police say they seized and searched the vehicle and found an 'unknown substance' inside. The substance, described as a grainy powder grey/green in colour, was sent to Health Canada for identification. This week, Health Canada confirmed metonitazene – a potent synthetic opioid – was detected in the substance, along with fentanyl, caffeine and dimethyl sulfone. 'This combination of drugs is dangerous and may put users more at risk of an overdose,' said Const. Martin Cromwell in a news release. 'Even handling these substances can be risky without taking proper precautions.' Police are reminding the public that Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone kits are available free of charge through the Nova Scotia Health's Take Home Naloxone Program. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
First case of dermo disease detected in N.L. oysters
Federal food safety officials say they've confirmed the first case of dermo disease in oysters from Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a disease caused by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, and can cause significant mortality of both cultured and wild oysters, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website. The first case in Canada was found in November in New Brunswick, and it has since been found in oysters from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The CFIA says the disease has now been detected in oyster samples from Notre Dame Bay, N.L. On May 30 CFIA issued a quarantine order at Notre Dame Bay Mussel Farms Inc. due to dermo's detection. "The company is cooperating and complying with all regulatory orders and is following government-approved policies for reporting," said the notice. The parasite doesn't pose a risk to human health or food safety, but the agency says the illness can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates as it can spread from oyster to oyster and also through water contaminated with the parasite. The CFIA says it's working with the province and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to increase oyster monitoring, control the movement of oysters in the area and look for the source of the illness.
