Latest news with #healthcareServices
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Interior Health's plans to close lab in Trail, B.C. leaves mayor and residents blindsided
Interior Health plans to close its Trail medical lab on July 28, moving those employees to the hospital and the lab's services to LifeLabs, a private company, but the mayor and some residents are calling for the health authority to reconsider. The move, announced in a press release on June 13, would mean people in need of lab services such as blood tests and electrocardiograms (ECGs) will have to go to LifeLabs in Waneta Plaza, about 6 kilometres east of the Interior Health lab, which is downtown in the Trail Health Centre. Interior Health said the lab is being closed to make the best use of staffing resources and to improve testing for patients at Trail's Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, which serves a large area including communities from Grand Forks to Nelson. Since the announcement, CBC News has heard from the mayor and a handful of Trail residents who say they were shocked by the decision and that there was little consultation on the matter. The mayor is hoping that Interior Health will reconsider, or at least meet with the community to hear their concerns. "There was no consultation, we had no idea it was happening," Mayor Colleen Jones told CBC News, adding that staff also had little notice. Joanne Isbur, Interior Health's program director for pathology and lab medicine services, said staff will shift to the hospital to improve acute care and emergency department response. She said there are "staffing deficits" across the region, and the extra staff at the hospital will also improve services for urgent and critical patients, like cancer care and those with pre-surgical requirements. "Interior Health recognizes that this is a significant change for patients and care providers, and employees. We've provided some time for patients to transition over to the LifeLabs location," Isbur said. She pointed out that LifeLabs is working in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority and the Ministry of Health, so services offered through LifeLabs will still be covered under the Medical Services Plan. Resident Helen Bobbitt has antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, an autoimmune condition which can cause blood clots. She relies on the clinic for regular testing and said the move is a mistake. "I have a blood clot disorder, and if it weren't for the staff in the location of this lab, where I have to sometimes go and get last-minute lab work and have been doing so for the last 22 years, I wouldn't be able to stay on top of things," Bobbitt said. "If they (Interior Health) can do this, with no – zero – consultation, what else can they do?" She also voiced frustration about no longer having a lab located downtown, adding that the lab has been a staple in the community for more than 20 years. Mayor Jones said the infrequent bus service to the Waneta Plaza will make the location more difficult for seniors and people with mobility issues to access. On Thursday, Jones said she hopes Interior Health will reconsider the closure. She has requested a meeting with the health authority. CBC News reached out to Interior Health for comment and they said they are working on a response. Bobbit said she's also concerned about the influx of patients at LifeLabs creating long wait-times and reducing their staffing resources. She said people from several other outlying communities, like Fruitvale, about 16 kilometres east of Trail, rely on the Interior Health lab. "You're giving no choice but to drive everybody to one location that's only open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no transportation to rely on to get there safely," Bobbit said. Capacity not an issue, says Interior Health The Trail Health Centre lab saw approximately 80 to 85 patients per day over the past six months, Interior Health said, adding LifeLabs has the ability to take on these new patients. "LifeLabs developed that location to accommodate the Trail community population. They do have the capacity to meet patient volumes," Isbur said. In an emailed statement to CBC News, LifeLabs confirmed it is prepared to take on the large number of new patients, adding that the location in Trail has been open since 2023. LISTEN | Interior Health CEO speaks about staffing concerns: "We will be working closely with Interior Health to ensure a smooth transition for patients and health-care providers. We look forward to continuing to provide reliable, efficient, and trustworthy services for the community of Trail," the lab said in the statement. It added that all patients who visit LifeLabs will have access to a portal that can be used to manage appointments and view results through MyCareCompass. This is separate from the MyHealthPortal with Interior Health. LifeLabs said outpatient services will be available at Waneta Plaza, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free Malaysia Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Private hospitals call for delay to 6% SST for non-Malaysians
Several associations raised concerns about the potential impact on service accessibility, pricing transparency, and operational preparedness, especially for sectors like healthcare. (Gambar Envato Elements) PETALING JAYA : Private hospitals are urging the finance ministry to postpone the implementation of the 6% sales and service tax (SST) on private healthcare services for non-Malaysians, set to take effect on July 1. In a statement, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) raised concerns over the implementation time frame, saying 'private hospitals will need sufficient lead time to adjust administrative systems, billing processes, and compliance procedures'. APHM also said it had sent a written request to the finance ministry today for a 'more practical timeline'. 'This is to allow for a smoother transition, minimise disruption to patient services, and help ensure full compliance with the new requirements.' APHM also said it had sought further clarification on the policy's application, including its impact on professional fees, its treatment of foreigners residing in Malaysia, and other related implementation matters. The finance ministry announced two days ago that the service tax would be expanded to include rent, lease, construction, financial services, private healthcare, and education, with hopes that it would help generate RM51.7 billion in SST revenue next year. Under this policy, private hospitals will charge a 6% SST on healthcare services provided to foreign nationals. Since the announcement, several associations have raised concerns about the potential impact on service accessibility, pricing transparency, and operational preparedness, especially for sectors like healthcare and education which serve many non-Malaysians including foreign workers, expatriates, and international students.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Hospitals to be made to offer women epidurals to boost birth rates
China has mandated that all tertiary hospitals, those with over 500 beds, must offer epidural anaesthesia during childbirth by the end of this year. This initiative aims to foster a more "friendly childbearing environment" for women, according to the country's National Health Commission (NHC). The NHC's statement last week outlined further plans to extend these services to secondary hospitals, which have more than 100 beds, by 2027. The move comes as authorities grapple with declining birth rates in the world's second-largest economy. In 2024, China's population fell for the third consecutive year, prompting experts to warn of a worsening demographic downturn in the coming years. Currently, around 30% of pregnant women in China receive anaesthesia for pain relief during childbirth. This is in stark contrast to some developed countries, where the rate exceeds 70%, according to the China Daily. The World Health Organization recommends epidurals for healthy pregnant women requesting pain relief and it is widely utilised in many countries around the world, including France, where around 82% of pregnant women opt to have one, and in the United States and Canada where more than 67% do. The move will "improve the comfort level and security of medical services" and "further enhance people's sense of happiness and promote a friendly childbearing environment," the NHC said. A growing number of provinces across China are also beginning to include childbirth anaesthesia costs as part of their medical insurance schemes to encourage more women to have children. High childcare costs as well as job uncertainty and a slowing economy have discouraged many young Chinese from getting married and starting a family. In June, health authorities in China's southwestern Sichuan province proposed to extend marriage leave up to 25 days and maternity leave up to 150 days, to help create a "fertility-friendly society."
Wall Street Journal
12-05-2025
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Time to Reform the Medicaid Funding Racket
Your editorial 'The Moral Case for Reforming Medicaid' (April 15) is exactly right in arguing that work requirements should be a prerequisite to receive aid for those who are neither elderly nor disabled. Why? Because such provisions have proven successful in other welfare programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps. Yet the case for reforming Medicaid on moral grounds is even more important than you suggest, because the current system is rife with inequities that undermine its original intent as a safety net for the truly needy. As you note, voters support work requirements. But I suspect few realize that the federal government provides states with more generous reimbursements for able-bodied, childless adults than it does for people with disabilities. This perverse incentive structure encourages states to prioritize coverage for healthy adults without dependents—many of whom could reasonably be working—while deprioritizing vulnerable populations, including disabled people urgently in need of essential services like home healthcare.
