Are Albertans' reproductive rights on the line?
Premier Smith plans to shift hospital operations to faith-based organizations. The operators currently refuse to provide some services on religious grounds, including abortions, MAiD, birth control, and gender-affirming care.
Why itās important: Under the guise of administrative restructuring, Smithās plan could create vast regions where reproductive and end-of-life care are inaccessible.
This story is coupled with a leaked draft of a reformed Alberta Bill of Rights. According to an anti-abortion news site claiming to have the draft, its text enshrines āthe God-given right to life from conceptionā¦ up until natural death.ā While the authenticity of the draft is already in dispute, Smithās plan to shift hospital operations suggests reproductive rights in Alberta are indeed under threat.Ā
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Why are Canadians spending more time in Emergency Departments?
New CIHI data shows shifts in Canadiansā ER-usage. The reasons we go to the ER are changing over time, and weāre now spending more time in ERs than ever.
Why itās important: The growing length of ER staysāup 20-30% in recent yearsāis a nationwide trend. It provides some insight into the strain on our healthcare system. So do the things that bring us to the ER in the first place.
While back pain was previously the third most common reason for an ER visit, upper respiratory infections now occupy that spot. Urinary tract infections and abdominal pain are among the conditions requiring the most time to resolve. As the population ages, these clinical presentations will become more and more common.Ā
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Doctor cleared of gender discrimination and improper billingāagain
The CPSO has once again cleared Dr. Marko Duic of accusations of discriminatory hiring and abusive billing practices.
Why itās important: Despite significant evidence supporting complaints against Duic, his repeated exoneration undermines confidence in the effectiveness of the CPSO in addressing discriminatory practices and unethical billing.
This latest ruling follows a court-ordered re-opening of the CPSOās investigation after it cleared Duic of the same accusations in 2019. The collegeās decision points to challenges in proving discrimination cases, which rarely have direct evidence. Critics say the case demonstrates regulatorsā reluctance to confront difficult issues, which lets bad actors persist, unchallenged.Ā
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Pertussis reaches epidemic levels in Quebec
Pertussis is surging in Quebec, with over 12,000 cases reported this year. The spike has prompted public health alerts encouraging vaccinations for kids before school starts.
Why itās important: The rise in cases follows an expected cyclical pattern of whooping cough outbreaks every few years, but this yearās case counts dwarf pre-pandemic numbers.
Notably, COVID testing and reporting systems that have been extended to other illnesses could be picking up cases that would previously have gone unnoticed. This could factor into explaining the surge, though to what degree is unknown. Poor vaccine-uptake is likely to be a key contributor here, if not a primary one. Babies and young kids are especially vulnerable to severe complications from pertussis.Ā
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Some schools don't have peanut bans anymore. Hereās why.
As schools in Quebec and Alberta move away from peanut bans, some parents are worried for their kidsā safety, understandably.
Why itās important: Evidence suggests peanut bans can create a false sense of security, increasing the risk of severe allergic reactions and bad outcomes. An emphasis on prevention, alertness, and readiness might be more protective.
Experts say schools should prioritize training staff, educating parents and students, and fostering safer environments. Seems counterintuitive, but thereās a sort of logic here. Under a ban, I send my allergic kid to school knowing that itās ānut-free.ā We feel good about it. As a result of its nut ban, the school gets a bit lax. Does anything happen if another kid brings nuts to school? Do staff know where the epi-pen is?Ā
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The stress of modern parenting prompts U.S. health advisory
The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the extreme stress faced by parents, highlighting the impacts of financial strain, social pressures, and the demands of raising children in today's world.
Why itās important: The advisory affirms what many of us already know. The stresses of parenting, fueled by social media comparison-culture, the youth mental health crisis, and financial hardship, take a toll on parents' mental and physical health.
The structure of modern life is still based in an outdated paradigm, where one parent works and the other manages the home. Today, with both parents typically working and childcare costs booming, thereās a fundamental mismatch between societal expectations and the limits placed upon parents by that pesky thing known as reality.Ā
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