Canada's dental associations are currently negotiating with the federal government over the national dental care plan, says Health Minister Mark Holland. The government aims to protect vulnerable patients by not requiring upfront payments and reimbursing for services, a key point of contention. The program, starting in May, aims to provide dental coverage to uninsured families earning under $90,000. While many dental professionals have yet to sign up, Holland assures that thousands have committed, despite concerns about the fee structure and administrative burden.

The University of Manitoba's respirology department is now accredited to train and certify sleep medicine fellows, a first for Manitoba. The program aims to train one fellow annually, who will work at Misericordia Health Centre's Sleep Disorder Centre. This initiative is expected to reduce wait times for sleep studies and care and make Manitoba more competitive in attracting sleep medicine professionals. The first fellow, Dr. Sarah Jane Sass, has already started the program, which will address various sleep disorders. This fellowship is part of Manitoba's efforts to enhance local healthcare access.

Critical incidents in Manitoba hospitals have significantly increased due to staff shortages. Between January and September 2023, there were 112 critical incidents, including 22 deaths, marking a nearly 26% rise from the same period in 2022. Staffing deficiencies are affecting patient and staff safety, as exemplified by limited ambulance services during Easter. The Manitoba government is addressing this by planning to hire over 1,000 healthcare workers and investing in workforce expansion. Critical incidents are thoroughly reviewed, with recommendations made and implemented to improve healthcare delivery.

A study published in JBMR Plus by Oxford University Press reveals that survival rates for seniors after hip or other bone fractures are alarmingly low, often worse than for many types of cancer. This extensive study, based on nearly 100,000 subjects over 65 in the Ontario, Canada healthcare system, shows that less than one-third of men and half of women survive five years after a hip fracture. The study underscores the urgency of immediate medical intervention post-fracture to improve survival chances, highlighting the critical impact of fractures on senior health

Health-care union leaders in Manitoba attribute a significant increase in critical incidents within hospitals and other healthcare settings to chronic staff shortages. The reported incidents, including delayed treatments leading to patient deaths and surgeries on the wrong body parts, have risen compared to the previous year. Union representatives emphasize that sufficient staffing and oversight are crucial in preventing such incidents and ensuring patient safety. The province is actively working on strategies to improve recruitment and retention of healthcare staff to address these challenges.

The Manitoba NDP government, after six months in power, has not yet released figures on the success of their health-care worker recruitment efforts. Despite the Progressive Conservative party's inquiries, Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara have not provided specific numbers, but Kinew highlighted the addition of new medicine beds at the Health Sciences Centre. The 2024-25 Manitoba budget includes a significant investment towards adding healthcare workers, but PC health critic Kathleen Cook is pressing for transparency in recruitment numbers, recalling the NDP's previous calls for openness when they were in opposition.

As Canada's Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) prepares to start next month, it's facing challenges with dentist participation. Although the plan aims to cover 1.6 million seniors, Health Canada has yet to disclose the exact number of oral health providers who have registered. There are concerns from dental professionals regarding the program's implementation, including the contractual obligations and administrative burdens it may impose. This hesitancy among dentists could impact the effectiveness and accessibility of the CDCP for eligible seniors.

In Canada, despite the legalization of cannabis over five years ago, medical users still face access challenges. Patients have found it difficult to find doctors who endorse medical cannabis usage, with many hoping that the 2018 legalization would ease these issues. However, for many, this hasn't been the case. Montreal's Santé Cannabis clinic highlights these ongoing difficulties, where patients still struggle with obtaining their medical cannabis orders due to complexities in the system. The clinic emphasizes the need for smoother access, suggesting that dispensing through pharmacists could offer a solution