Hudak Health Care

Durham Region Health Loses Personal Information of over 80 Thousand People

Personal health information for 83,524 people has gone astray with the loss of a USB key in Durham Region.


The device contained data collected from everyone who attended H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccination clinics in the region between Oct. 23 and Dec. 15. It was lost on regional headquarters property at Rossland Rd. and Garden St. while being taken to a local clinic, said a health department news release.

The information stored on the USB key includes personal information such as name, address, phone number, date of birth, health card number, doctor's name and any health details provided at the time of vaccination.
A search of the area failed to find the device but the health department doesn't believe it was deliberately taken.

A letter will be sent out to those affected. Anyone with concerns or questions is advised to contact Durham Health Connection Line at 905-666-6241 or 1-800-841-2729.

It seems to me that we hear about this sort of thing more and more often these days. It has to make one wonder how safe all this technology is in the hands of the typical government or healthcare worker.  This will also do nothing to encourage people to get a flu shot in the future.

U.S. Senate Finance Passes Its Health Care Bill

By a 14-9 vote -- with Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine as the lone Republican voting "aye" -- the Senate Finance Committee just passed its version of legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system.

The 10-year, $829 billion plan would require all Americans to purchase insurance.

Source: NPR

It's about time. America is finally joining the rest of us in the 21st century!

Canada anger at 'flu body bags'

I see the BBC is reporting on this proud Canadian story.

Canada's health minister has ordered an investigation after body bags were sent to aboriginal reserves as part of supplies to deal with swine flu.

The body bags were delivered this week to First Nation communities in Manitoba province which were hard hit by a swine flu outbreak a few months ago.

Community leaders said they were "horrified" when they saw the bags.

Health officials have apologised for any alarm caused and say the bags were just sent as routine restocking.

My initial post on this story is here.

Mulroney wades where Harper won't - in support of Obama in U.S. health debate

A Conservative prime minister has launched a stirring defence of universal health care, and lauded Barack Obama in his bare-knuckle political battle to extend benefits to all Americans.

But it's not the current Conservative prime minister.

Brian Mulroney used a speech to 1,500 Conservative supporters to wade where Prime Minister Stephen Harper has steadfastly refused to venture: the bitter U.S. debate over health reform.

The former prime minister drew parallels between Obama's uphill fight to reform health care to his own struggles as prime minister, which may have cost him popularity but benefited the country.

"Political capital is acquired to be spent in great causes for one's nation," Mulroney said Thursday.

"Prime ministers are not chosen to seek popularity.... They are chosen to provide leadership. . . President Obama is fighting for a form of universal health care and is encountering ferocious resistance.

"The attacks on President Obama are often bitter and mean-spirited and his approval ratings, his popularity, are sinking like a stone. Still, he fights on. . .

"Fifty years from today, Americans will revere the name, 'Obama.' Because like his Canadian predecessors, he chose the tough responsibilities of national political leadership over the meaningless nostrums of sterile partisanship that we see too much of in Canada and around the world today."

The vast, crowded hotel ballroom went silent at that part of Mulroney's speech. One woman was seen snickering.

It didn't take long for tongues to start wagging that Mulroney's speech -- which, in 40 minutes, mentioned old Liberal and NDP opponents but never once uttered the name 'Harper' -- was a craftily designed swipe at the prime minister.

Full Story Click Here

Source: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Obviously there is no love lost between Mulroney and Harper, but what strikes me the most about this is Mulroneys inflated ego. He sounds like George W. Bush when he says, " "Fifty years from today, Americans will revere the name, 'Obama.' Because like his Canadian predecessors, he chose the tough responsibilities of national political leadership over the meaningless nostrums of sterile partisanship that we see too much of in Canada and around the world today."

I take it that Mulroney means himself when he says 'Canadian predecessors', which implies that he expects us to revere him in the future, or at least my decendents will revere him. HA! Obviously this jerk wad hasn't changed much in the years since he was Prime Minister.