Health

It was a tongue-in-cheek moment at the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union's annual general meeting a few weeks ago when president Janet Hazelton egged on the health minister to do more to hire American nurses."I've gotten emails from several nurses from the U.S. that want to move here ... apparently they're having issues with their leadership," she joked. "Maybe you could give the college a little nudge ... We should be taking these nurses!"While the interaction brought chuckles at Hazelton's poke at the political climate in the United States, it came with a serious question: Why did Nova Scotia pause a fast-track licensing program for international nurses, just when some Americans are eyeing a move north?But the regulatory body in charge of licensing nurses wants people to know the door to America...

Alberta has experienced its deadliest flu season in recent memory and it's not over yet.According to provincial data, 193 Albertans have died due to influenza so far this season, surpassing last year's total of 175.That's the highest death toll since at least 2009.The previous major peak, in 2022-23, was 123 flu deaths.Death rates, based on population, are also the highest in at least 16 years."I'm concerned now that after seeing this trend now for three years that this is becoming the new normal," said Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.While weekly case counts are dropping, influenza continues to take a toll. According to Alberta's respiratory virus dashboard, there are still 172 people hospitalized ...

A Toronto doctor under investigation after thousands of people were potentially exposed to blood-borne infections at her gynecology office has resigned from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, CBC News has learned.The college investigated Dr. Esther Park's care of two patients in her obstetrics and gynecology practice following two public complaints, according to the CPSO's physician register."In the face of the investigations, Dr. Park has resigned from the College effective April 30, 2025, and has agreed never to apply or reapply for registration as a physician in Ontario or any other jurisdiction," the public notification reads.CBC Toronto was first to report on the infection risk in March.WATCH | Many patients of gynecologist linked to infection exposure were new Canadia...

N.W.T. doctors say that if the territorial government doesn't take action, there will be closures at the emergency room at Stanton Territorial Hospital this summer."We're at, really, a crisis point," said Yellowknife ER doctor Courtney Howard.Howard and other N.W.T. doctors spoke to MLAs on the standing committee on social development Friday on behalf of the Northwest Territories Medical Association. They told committee members there is a desperate need for the territory to increase pay for locum emergency room doctors this summer to keep the emergency room staffed."There is real danger that we won't be able to keep the emergency room open over the next few months if there's not a change," Howard said.Howard told MLAs almost half of all ER shifts at the hospital are unfilled over the next ...

A new case of travel-related measles has been confirmed in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to six.Fraser Health officials say the latest case was confirmed in a visitor from Toronto, who arrived at Vancouver International Airport on April 20 and then was in Chilliwack for the following five days.Members of the public have been warned to check for symptoms of the disease, which has been seeing a resurgence in Canada — particularly in Ontario, where officials have counted 1,018 confirmed and probable cases of measles so far this year.While health officials in B.C. say most people are immune to the disease due to prior vaccination or infection, they're advising members of the public to monitor for measles symptoms for up to three weeks, as i...

This First Person column is written by Jessica Sunter, a nurse living with auditory processing disorder in Ottawa. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ."We're having cheese 'n' kabobs."That's what I heard my spouse say. I knew I didn't hear it right but I couldn't figure out why. So I told her what I heard, and I asked her to repeat herself."Chicken kebabs," she repeated. Ah yes, that made more sense. What didn't make sense was why I misunderstood the first time when I was literally sitting one foot away from her.As I would soon confirm with testing, it's not because my ears were struggling to hear. Instead, my brain was struggling to process the sounds.WATCH | What it feels like to live with auditory processing disorder: Like dyslexia, but for the ears...

A doctor running a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, including an Ottawa location that offers safer opioid supply, is billing public insurance about $2.5 million per year.Dr. Suman Koka is the sole officer and director of Northwood Recovery, which has locations in North York, Hamilton and Manitoulin Island. It operates under the name Recovery North in Sudbury, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie.Northwood Recovery opened its first Ottawa location in Hintonburg last year, but quietly moved it to Chinatown this March.Neighbours in both Hintonburg and Chinatown have criticized Koka for prescribing opioid medications to fentanyl users. They say his patients are trading the prescription drugs on the street to get harder substances, attracting dealers and crime to the area.City councillors r...

The Dose24:04Why do we smell (and how concerned should we be about it)?As the weather warms up and we start to spend more time outdoors, many of us will be reminded that people have a tendency to smell. Pharmaceutical companies have tried for years to convince people to purchase products that cover up their smells, even introducing deodorant for the whole body. "We all have B.O.," Sarah Everts, a Carleton University associate professor and author of The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration, told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose podcast. While pharmaceutical companies continue to market products aimed at encouraging people to cover up their natural scents and help stop sweating, experts say that body odour and sweat are perfectly natural and people shouldn't worry about them...

Karthik Babu Menon is ready to vote in his first-ever federal election, but he's not just thinking about how to mark his ballot, but also about the potential challenges he might face in getting into the voting booth.In previous elections, he's found voting fairly accessible as someone who uses a walker to get around Saskatoon, but he thinks there's still ways to make voting even easier, for instance, by getting rid of pencil and paper voting."I would definitely prefer something which has touch technology, like touch screens," he said, explaining he was born with cerebral palsy and can struggle with dexterity with his hands, as well as with muscle control and coordination with his legs. Babu Menon isn't just familiar with accessibility issues from a personal perspective. He also works as a ...

Federal party leaders and provincial governments are trying to make it easier for workers to seamlessly move between provinces as a response to U.S. tariffs, but some health-care leaders in Manitoba aren't enthusiastic."It just worries me that nurses are going to take this as an opportunity to strike out and look for greener pastures," Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said.There's renewed interest in eliminating interprovincial barriers that restrict workers' mobility, now seen as a way to bolster an economy hurting from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.Provincial governments in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have introduced legislation or written letters to support worker movement. Jackson, however, worries about potential consequences. Sh...