Health

New data shows more people are filing complaints about obstetrical and gynecological care in Ontario, with insensitivity, poor communication and lack of trauma awareness among the most common grievances.Ontario's Patient Ombudsman Craig Thompson says his office received 168 complaints between April 2024 and March 2025, compared to 130 over the same period the previous year — a 29 per cent increase.Complainants also detailed experiencing a lack of responsive care to factors such as history of sexual assault, pregnancy complications, miscarriages, and difficult births.Many complaints were related to pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care provided in hospitals, he said. There's also been an increase in complaints regarding services at community surgical and diagnostic centres that do ultras...

8 hours agoNewsDuration 3:06Outside of major cities, paramedic response times can be significantly longer than in urban areas, affecting patient outcomes in some high-priority cases. This is particularly true in Quebec, where a recent report found response times doubled in rural areas, where paramedics are calling for more resources.

As Alberta faces the prospect of another summer plagued by wildfire smoke, experts are urging people to monitor conditions and take steps to protect their long-term health.Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for the city of Calgary on Wednesday as the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) hit levels indicating very high risk.Fires are already burning in parts of Western Canada, and a mix of dry conditions and hot weather could further increase the risk of wildfires in the coming months, Environment Canada warned this week."This is awful that we're facing another potential summer of this poor air quality and wildfire smoke," said Kerri Johannson, a Calgary-based pulmonary physician."We know that long-term exposure to air pollution — and this is exactly what this is — is a risk factor...

Seven people have been hospitalized after eating salami recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.The Public Health Agency of Canada released a notice Wednesday stating that 57 people — 44 in Alberta and 13 in Ontario — got sick after eating Rea brand Genoa Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Hot and Bona brand Mild Genova Salami.The federal agency said most people were ill between mid-April and late May, after eating salami in prepared sandwiches or bought from deli counters.Products were also distributed at grocery stores, specialty markets, restaurants, cafés, delis and butcher shops. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled the products in Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba on June 10.They recommend checking for the following product codes: 5035 226, 5049 226, 5020 228, 5035 22...

For one Canadian-born doctor, who has been practicing family medicine in Colorado for the last six years, his next career move is a sort of homecoming."It's been kind of a long-time dream of mine to come back to Canada," said Muthanna Yacoub. "For me it's hockey and being in the hills that are basically my antidepressant."The province has been working to make it easier for U.S.-trained doctors and nurses to have their credentials recognized in B.C., a process the Ministry of Health says now takes days instead of months. After speaking to a few physician recruiters at a conference in Vancouver, Yacoub almost signed on with a clinic in Ontario, where he was born and spent part of his childhood. But it was the natural beauty of B.C. that enticed him, his wife and their dog, Hudson.  WATCH | B...

Quebec's health minister says the province's public health service is "closely monitoring" the number of tuberculosis cases in Nunavik, in the wake of a letter from the mayors of the region's 14 Inuit communities calling for the declaration of a public health emergency."We take this situation very seriously," Health Minister Christian Dubé's office told CBC News. "We will continue to follow the recommendations of public health experts on this subject."Public health experts who spoke with CBC News said they are facing resource shortages and need help in order to adequately address the rising numbers of active tuberculosis cases in the region. Quebec's health department told CBC that as of June 7, there have been 56 cases so far this year of tuberculosis reported in Nunavik — even higher tha...

Diana Moser has, to the best of her knowledge, not contracted Lyme disease, a welcome status quo that might be credited to the tick-repellant clothing she wears in the yard of her East LaHave, N.S., home, or to the insect spray she squirts on herself, or to just plain-old luck.Or, it's possible the good fortune is due to what some are hoping is a "game changer" in the fight against the disease, which is caused by tick-borne bacteria and, if left untreated, can lead to severe heart, joint and nervous system symptoms.Moser is one of dozens of people in Nova Scotia, and more than 9,000 in the eastern United States, Eastern Canada and parts of Europe, who are taking part in clinical trials for a vaccine against Lyme infection."I think it's incredibly important to have," she said of a vaccine, ...

Shahzeb Khan had never been to Cambridge, Ont., before.But after a week of touring private gardens, visiting various entertainment venues and shadowing family doctors and specialists, the University of Ottawa medical student is considering moving to the community after he graduates."I definitely have a much better impression of this city than before," he said, standing outside of a glass-walled conference room in the grey and beige hallways of Langs Community Heath Centre, nearly 500 km away from where he currently lives and studies.Khan is just one in a group of medical students brought to the city as part of Rural Ontario Medical Placement (ROMP) week.The week-long program aims to get medical students into smaller Ontario communities to shadow local physicians, explore the area, and idea...

Smoke from wildfires burning across Alberta has blanketed much of the province, including the Edmonton region.Edmontonians woke up to worsening air quality — the distinct smell of burning wood and morning skies cloaked in an orange haze. Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements for the city and surrounding regions, while air quality warnings remain in effect for a swath of communities across the northern portion of the province. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke could fluctuate from hour to hour and as smoke levels increase, so do the health risks, Environment Canada cautioned.As of Tuesday morning, the Air Quality Health Index for the Edmonton region was rated at 10+, meaning that residents are at a very high risk from the current levels of air pollution...

As summer approaches, Alberta's measles case counts are expected to keep climbing and some experts worry transmission will become even more widespread.With 31 new cases reported over the weekend, Alberta's total case count jumped to 809 by midday Monday.Five people are currently hospitalized due to the virus, including two patients who are in intensive care.The outbreaks began in March and while cases have been confirmed in all zones, the south, central and north zones are the hardest hit."This is not showing signs of slowing at this point," said Caroline Colijn, a professor and Canada Research Chair of Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health at Simon Fraser University.She predicts  Alberta's measles case counts will keep climbing for months."I would expect it will continue ...