compiled by Pat Van Horne
“Two of the most senior purchasing officials at Alberta Health Services in 2022 were also briefly directors
of a numbered company with ties to a supplier that has been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in business by
the health agency . . .Corporate filings show that in October, 2022, Jitendra Prasad and Blayne Iskiw – both of
whom then worked as senior procurement officials at Alberta Health Services – were directors of a numbered company
with a person named Khalil Mraiche. . .Two people by that name are relatives of Sam Mraiche, the owner of MHCare
Medical Corp., an equipment and drug supplier that has done more than $600-million in business with the Alberta
Health Authority since the pandemic.”—said a report by
The Globe and Mail, September 29 2025
Alberta health officials were also directors at a company linked to a supplier
Alberta private clinics adviser worked for firm vying for contract, confidential report says
“So we need to get this Conservative government to the table.” said Ontario NDP MPP Jennifer Stevens (St.
Catharines ON), scoffing at the Ontario government’s claim that current programs – covering contraception for
people under 25 and over 65 – are adequate, given most women’s reproductive years in Canada include their late 20s
and 30s,
The Guardian, September 24 2025
Trudeau made headlines with free birth control. Why didn’t Canada follow through?
“It’s not just the mandate of the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ). All of society, people
upstream in the education system, in healthcare facilities, we really need to work together to ensure that
Indigenous communities feel welcome, that they are well cared for, and that their culture is taken into
account,” –said OIIQ President Luc Mathieu, adding that April 10th was chosen because it is celebrated
elsewhere in Canada in honour of Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, born April 10, 1890, the first Indigenous woman
to become a registered nurse in Canada,
Montreal City News September 30 2025
Montreal City News
“There was a change that happened earlier this year … with the intentions of improving those services, and that
transition did not go the way that it should have . . .Too many families saw disruptions that caused frustrations
and uncertainty, and for that, I sincerely apologize. . .(The changes) happened far too quickly and it didn’t
factor in the concerns that the front-line providers were expressing. It was very clear to us that the rollout was
not going well, and so, as a government, we intervened,””—said Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who announced it
has hired 32 new scheduling clerks since July and has reverted to its previous way of scheduling home-care
appointments for clients, which is tied to geographic areas for more stable schedules.
Winnipeg Free
Press,
September 29 2025
More than two dozen scheduling clerks hired in effort to repair home-care system
“As Ottawa considers it defence spending priorities, it must not overlook the health and well-being of its most
important asset: the people who provide safety and security to Canada, and those who support them. They are
critical to Canada’s defence revitalization. . . The government must continue to support and invest in four
pivotal organizations dedicated to supporting the physical and mental health of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
members, veterans, public safety personnel, and their families. . .These four organizations: The Canadian
Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR); Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and
Treatment (CIPSRT); Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families; and Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian
Veterans (CPCoE)—all play a critical, sometimes life-saving role in the health and well-being of these
communities.”—said Baltej Singh Dhillon, a member of the Independent Senators Group, retired career police
officer, community leader, and advocate for diversity and inclusion,
The Hill Times, September 24 2025
Investing in the health of those who defend Canada will pay long-term dividends
“As has recently been reported, the (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba) currently has more than 225
open investigations related to complaints from Manitobans regarding medical treatment they’ve received, and at
present has just one investigator tasked with conducting those investigations. . . In addition to directly putting
patient safety at risk, the failure to investigate in a timely manner also further erodes public trust in a
health-care system that has for too long been widely considered to be in crisis.”—said an editorial in
The
Globe and Mail
, September 29 2025
Medical complaints must be addressed
“Opened in November 2024, (Ottawa’s) Montfort Hospital's Mental Health Emergency Zone (MHEZ) is purpose-built to
help stabilize patients in a mental health crisis, making the ER safer for themselves, other patients and
health-care workers. . . It's a calm oasis with soft music, lights that can be dimmed, comfy beanbag
chairs and a water cooler. There's a bathroom with a shower and a cellphone charging locker. A
psychiatric nurse is there 24/7 to do an initial assessment and de-escalate distressed patients, all the while
gathering valuable information for the ER doctors.”—said Dr. Brian Goldman,
CBC Radio, White Coat Black
Art,
September 27 2025
This Ontario ER built a separate waiting room for patients with mental health emergencies
“(Statistics Canada highlights) the need to enhance and expand resources, policies and programs for immigrants
entering the nursing profession, particularly those without prior Canadian work experience. . . The data show that
immigrants with Canadian work experience before being admitted as permanent residents were far more likely to end
up working in nursing jobs. Their rate of alignment between intended and actual employment in nursing was 28
percentage points higher than that of those without such work experience.”—said a report in
Toronto
Star,
September 25, 2025
Toronto Star
“According to the province, anyone receiving involuntary treatment must meet a specific set of criteria.
. . They must have a mental disorder that requires treatment; their disorder impairs their ability to react
appropriately to their environment or associate with others; they need care or supervision to prevent substantial
mental or physical deterioration, or for the protection of themselves or others; they require treatment in a
designated facility; and, the person can't be admitted voluntarily.”—said a report by CBC News, following
an
announcement by the BC Government Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs, and
Concurrent Disorders, September 29 2025
What is involuntary care? And how does it work in B.C.?
General guidance for physicians on the use of the Mental Health Act