MSF accuses Ethiopian soldiers of ‘targeted killing' of 3 staffers in Tigray in 2021
María Hernández Matas, a 35-year-old Spanish doctor, local colleague Yohannes Haleform Reda and driver Tedros Gebremariam were shot dead in June 2021, forcing the medical charity also known by its French acronym, MSF, to stop its services in Tigray despite conflict there.
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Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US organ donation system faces scrutiny and changes after reports of disturbing near-misses
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is developing new safeguards for the organ transplant system after a government investigation found a Kentucky group continued preparations for organ donation by some patients who showed signs of life, officials told Congress Tuesday. While the organ removals were canceled, near misses that some lawmakers called horrifying should never happen. A House subcommittee asked how to repair trust in the transplant network for potential organ donors and families — some of whom have opted out of donor registries after these cases were publicized. 'We have to get this right,' said Rep. Brett Guthrie, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee and whose mother died waiting for a liver transplant. FILE - Surgical instruments are arranged during an organ procurement surgery June 15, 2023, in Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) 'Hopefully people will walk away today knowing we need to address issues but still confident that they can give life,' Guthrie said, adding that he will remain a registered organ donor. The hearing came after a federal investigation began last fall into allegations that a Kentucky donation group pressured a hospital in 2021 to proceed with plans to withdraw life support and retrieve organs from a man despite signs that he might be waking up from his drug overdose. That surgery never happened after a doctor noticed him moving and moaning while being transported to the operating room — and the man survived. Lawmakers stressed most organ donations proceed appropriately and save tens of thousands of lives a year. But the federal probe – concluded in March but only made public ahead of Tuesday's hearing — cited a 'concerning pattern of risk' in dozens of other cases involving the Kentucky group's initial planning to recover someone's organs. The report said some should have been stopped or reassessed earlier, and mostly involved small or rural hospitals with less experience in caring for potential organ donors. The Kentucky organ procurement organization, or OPO, has made changes and the national transplant network is working on additional steps. But notably absent Tuesday was any testimony from hospitals – whose doctors must independently determine a patient is dead before donation groups are allowed to retrieve organs. Here's a look at how the nation's transplant system works. There's a dire need for organ donation More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list and about 13 a day die waiting, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Only about 1% of deaths occur in a way that allows someone to even be considered for organ donation. Most people declared dead in a hospital will quickly be transferred to a funeral home or morgue instead. How the U.S. organ transplant system is set up Several groups are involved in every transplant: the hospital caring for someone dead or dying; the 55 OPOs that coordinate recovery of organs and help match them to patients on the waiting list; and transplant centers that decide if an organ is the right fit for their patients. Adding to the complexity, two government agencies — HRSA, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — share regulatory oversight of different parts of the donation and transplant process. How deceased donation works Most organ donors are brain-dead – when testing determines someone has no brain function after a catastrophic injury. The body is left on a ventilator to support the organs until they can be retrieved. But increasingly organs are donated after circulatory death, called DCD – when people die because their heart stops. It usually happens when doctors determine someone has a nonsurvivable injury and the family withdraws life support. Donation groups don't provide hands-on patient care Hospitals are required to alert their area OPO to every potential donor who is declared brain-dead or once the decision to withdraw life support is made. The OPOs by law can't participate in that decision and 'we are not even in the room at that time,' said Barry Massa of Kentucky's Network for Hope. During the following days of preparation, hospital employees continue caring for the patient – while the donation team talks with the family about the process, gathers hospital records showing the patient is eligible, requests tests of organ quality, and make arrangements with transplant centers to use them. Once the hospital withdraws life support and the heart stops beating there's a mandatory wait – five minutes – to be sure it won't restart. When the doctor declares death, the organ retrieval process can begin. Organs are only considered usable if death occurs relatively quickly, usually up to about two hours. Sometimes that takes much longer and thus the organs can't be used – and HRSA's Dr. Raymond Lynch told Congress that doesn't necessarily mean anything was done wrong. Still, he said HRSA is investigating reports of possible mistakes elsewhere. 'This is a technically demanding form of care' that requires 'good collaboration between the OPO and the hospital,' he said. What happens next At issue is how doctors are sure when it's time to withdraw life support from a dying patient — and the delicate balance of how OPOs interact with hospital staff in preparing for donation once death occurs. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Jen Zoratti | Next Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In May, HRSA quietly ordered the U.S. transplant network to oversee improvements at the Kentucky OPO and to develop new national policies making clear that anyone – family, hospital staff or organ donation staff – can call for a pause in donation preparations any time there are concerns about the patient's eligibility. Lynch said the government now wants more proactive collaboration from OPOs to give hospital staff 'a clear understanding' of when to at least temporarily halt and reevaluate a potential donor if their health status changes. Kentucky's Massa said his group only received HRSA's reports this week – but that after learning about last fall's allegations, it made some changes. Massa said every hospital doctor and nurse now gets a checklist on caring for potential donors and how to pause when concerns are raised — and anyone can anonymously report complaints. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Book Review: ‘The Sleep Room' is the harrowing story of psychiatric care in the 1960s
In the 1960s, a hospital in London held a ward full of women who suffered from a range of mental disorders. The women in this 'sleep room' were subjected to various medical procedures, including electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, and, at times, a lobotomy, without their consent. In 'The Sleep Room: A Sadistic Psychiatrist and the Women Who Survived Him,' Jon Stock tells the harrowing history of the British doctor who subjected them to medical abuse and gives voice to those who survived him. With interwoven firsthand testimony from surviving patients and rigorous research, Stock provides a haunting account of what the psychiatrist did to his patients without their knowledge. This image released by Abrams Books shows "The Sleep Room" by Jon Stock. (Abrams Books via AP) Throughout the book Stock also works to hold the medical establishment accountable for the neglect that occurred, but at times can simplify the complexities of psychiatric care during the '60s that most likely led to the abuse endured by many patients. While the switching between patient stories, history and research can create some confusion for the reader, the patient testimonies allows Stock to deliver an emotionally powerful narrative that is equally as disturbing. Written with nuance and tact, the 'The Sleep Room' is a chilling exposé into psychiatric care that will resonate deeply readers and, especially, true crime fans. ___ AP book reviews:
Cision Canada
16 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada improves access to health services for Francophone minority communities Français
MONCTON, NB, July 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, accompanied by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Member of Parliament for Moncton—Dieppe, announced more than $78 million in funding over five years to seven organizations including five Atlantic post-secondary training institutions to improve access to health services in French for Francophone communities. These investments will support innovative projects to improve health services in French through the Official Languages Health Program (OLHP). Initiatives include increasing access to care, improving recruitment, internship and placement opportunities in Francophone communities as well as training in francophone post-secondary health programs. The Government of Canda will continue working with partners to improve access to health care services for everyone, including services in the official language of their choice. Quotes "Everyone in Canada should have access to health services in their official language of choice, regardless of where they live. When it comes to health care, a language barrier can lead to a life-or-death situation. This is why the Government of Canada is supporting projects that will improve access to health services for Francophones and Anglophones living in minority communities in Canada." The Honourable Marjorie Michel Minister of Health "As a proud Atlantic Canadian, I know how vital it is for Francophones in minority communities to access health care in their language of choice. This funding will contribute to improved access to more inclusive and effective care — ensuring official languages are supported within our health care system." The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor Member of Parliament for Moncton—Dieppe "Our two official languages are at the heart of our identity, uniting us from coast to coast to coast and making us stronger together. As a government, we are taking concrete action to ensure that Canadians—no matter where they live—can access health services in the official language of their choice. I am pleased that this funding will support projects that strengthen our bilingual identity, not only in the Atlantic region but right across Canada." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages "Health is essential to the vitality of Francophone and Acadian minority communities, and they should have access to quality health services in their own language. Société Santé en français is proud to work with Canada's 16 French-language health networks and hundreds of other health partners to develop French-language health services across Canada." Antoine Désilets Executive Director, Société Santé en français "The importance of preparing the next generation of French-speaking health care workers, from recruitment to professional integration in Francophone minority communities, cannot be overstated. Health Canada's contribution will leverage the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne's (ACUFC) ability to support postsecondary institutions that are members of the Consortium national de formation en santé in their efforts to increase the number of health professionals providing French-language services. It will also allow our network to continue to overcome existing barriers and ensure that Canadians have access to equitable health services in the language of their choice." Martin Normand President and Chief Executive Officer, Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne - Consortium national de formation en santé "The financial support from the federal government represents much more than a simple investment in health training: it is a concrete gesture in favor of improving access to French-language health services in our Francophone minority communities. At the Université de Moncton, this support will strengthen our capacity to offer training in targeted health programs. We are proud to be part of a national network of 16 post-secondary institutions — a group that fosters collaboration, shares expertise, and promotes our programs. Together, we are helping to train the next generation of competent, committed professionals ready to meet the needs of French-language healthcare across the country." Dr. Denis Prud'homme President and Vice-Chancellor of the Université de Moncton Quick Facts The OLHP was launched in 2003 and receives funding through the Government of Canada's Action Plan for Official Languages. The Program supports non-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions and provincial and territorial governments that aim to improve access to health services for official language minority communities (OLMC) - Francophones living outside Quebec and English-speaking communities in Quebec. The " Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration" announced that, in addition to existing funding of $192.2 million over five years, Health Canada's OLHP will also receive $14.5 million over five years (for a total of $206.7 million over five years). This additional funding will support non-profit organizations, provincial and territorial governments and post-secondary institutions that serve OLMCs to train and retain bilingual health professionals, support health networking initiatives as well as innovative projects. Budget 2023 outlined the Government's plan to invest close to $200 billion over 10 years, including $46.2 billion in new funding to provinces and territories to strengthen Canada's public health care system. This includes $25 billion of funding through tailored bilateral agreements to meet the specific needs of each province and territory. Associated Links SOURCE Health Canada (HC)
