British Columbia’s answer to escalating Frac Health Harms? More doctors and cut funding to North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee? “The very committee pushing for answers is effectively being forced to fold”

North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee faced with funding cut by Energetic City, March 5, 2015

A provincial MLA is claiming that the government has cut funding from the North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee. Delta South Independent MLA Vicki Huntington raised the issue with the Minister of Health in today’s question period to find out the reason considering the group is responsible for monitoring the effects of oil and gas operations.

In a release Huntington said, “Northeastern British Columbians have serious concerns about the health effects of oil and gas operations, and the government should be actively responding to those issues. “It should not be cutting funding to a recognized organization that has been monitoring those health impacts.”

During today’s question period Huntington said to the health minister, “It’s inexcusable that the North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee has suddenly lost its government support. The very committee pushing for answers is effectively being forced to fold.” [Is the frac industry demanding more tax payer funds to pay for more propaganda, roads, LNG, water storage and pipelines?]

Minister of Health Terry Lake said in response he would be reaching out to the advisory committee. An exact amount as to how much money was cut was not indicated. [Emphasis added]

Funding cut for oil and gas health watchdog News Release by Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington, March 5, 2015

Victoria, B.C. – Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington says the government has cut funding for a watchdog organization that monitors the health effects of oil and gas operations.

“Northeastern British Columbians have serious concerns about the health effects of oil and gas operations, and the government should be actively responding to those issues,” says Huntington. “It should not be cutting funding to a recognized organization that has been monitoring those health impacts.” [That’s how Synergy works, ask SPOG, Pembina Institute and Synergy Alberta. Did the oil and gas industry and Intrinsik suggest funding cuts might be the most efficient way to keep secret the increasing health harms from fracing and sour gas?]

The North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee was founded in 2007. The committee is made up of community volunteers and includes experts in hydrology, air monitoring, and public health. It also includes representatives from industry, the Ministry of the Environment, First Nations, and the Provincial Health Services Authority. 

“Until recently the group received administrative assistance from the Northern Health Authority, but that support has been cut,” says Huntington. “Why this government would cut the administrative support for an independent watchdog group is baffling.”

The Health Advisory Committee was a driving force behind the government’s human health risk assessment of oil and gas operations in the northeast. Two weeks ago Huntington asked the health minister why the government was withholding all research related to the assessment as well as the final report, which was to be completed in March 2014. 

“I have yet to hear any meaningful reason why the government is sitting on data about human health,” says Huntington. “The official word is that it would be harmful to the government’s financial interests to release that data. One would think human health would come first.” [Under Harper’s Corporate Watch?]

Huntington asked the Minister of Health about the cuts to the committee during Question Period today.

“It’s inexcusable that the North East Oil and Gas Health Advisory Committee has suddenly lost its government support,” said Huntington. “The very committee pushing for answers is effectively being forced to fold.”

The minister responded that he “would be happy to reach out to the advisory committee.”

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Contact:

Aldous Sperl
Office: 250-952-7596
Research and Communications Officer, Office of Vicki Huntington, MLA
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Four new physicians coming to Fort St. John by Energetic City, March 5, 2015

Four new physicians are coming to practice in Fort St. John after completing their residency program in the coming months. The four new physicians are Dr. Hamid Sadri, Dr. Inthuja Nanda, Dr. Wea’am Abbas and Dr. Shiva Tayebi.

“My wife and I are very excited to join the Fort St. John community, and I look forward to meeting my new patients,” writes Dr. Sadri. “I sincerely hope that I can contribute to an already very strong medical team in Fort St. John.”

Dr. Sadri adds, “Considering the shortage of family physicians in Fort St. John, I decided to apply for the job position that was available. During my site visit, I was astonished by the hospitality of the Fort St. John medical community.”

The four new physicians will arrive in Fort St. John July – September after completing the residency program at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

They will be working alongside the current full-time physician and full-time nurse practitioner – who came to town in August and October respectively – at the Northern Health Community Primary Care Clinic.

“Having a group of physicians joining the team at the Community Primary Care Clinic will help increase the capacity in the practice,” writes Northern Health Northeast Chief Operating Officer Angela De Smit. “Northern Health works hard with its partners to ensure there is access to healthcare for residents of Fort St. John.”

She says the new physicians, along with the new walk-in clinic, will help to deliver a higher level of service to the community. [Or to cope with the increasing number of sick families in frac’d sour gas fields in NE BC?]

Those involved in the recruitment effort say they will continue working towards securing permanent physicians and three nurse practitioners.

“I am pleased to welcome the new physicians to Fort St. John. We’re happy to see some progress on recruitment, and know that there is more work to be accomplished,” writes Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm. “A short-term committee is working hard to find solutions. This group consists of myself, the City of Fort St. John, the District of Taylor, Peace River Regional District, Northern Health, North Peace Division of Family Practice, Concerned Citizens for Health Care, Fort St. John Chamber of Commerce and industry stakeholders.”

The St. Paul’s Hospital program graduates 12 residents in family medicine each year, and has been providing residency training since 2006. [Emphasis added]

New family physician coming to Dawson Creek by Energetic City, March 5, 2015

A new family physician is setting-up a practice in Dawson Creek after finishing his residency training this fall at St. Paul’s Hospital. His name is Dr. Hamid Tabassi, and is one of six graduates recruited by Northern Health – four of whom are going to practice in Fort St. John and another in the northwest.

“We are excited about his recruitment to the community and the success we have seen recently in the recruitment of physicians to Northern Health as a whole as well as to Dawson Creek specifically,” writes Northern Health’s Medical Director for the Northeast Dr. Becky Temple. “We look forward to continued success in recruitment [and] we are looking forward to working with Dr Tabassi.”

Dr. Tabassi will officially start practicing in Dawson Creek September 2015 after completing his residency at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

“I am a family doctor trained abroad, who successfully going to finish his two years residency at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver by the end of July 2015,” writes Dr. Tabassi. “I have 14 years of medical experience before starting my residency in Canada.”

Dr. Tabassi adds, “I am honoured and proud to be part of the Dawson Creek community in the next few months.”

The St. Paul’s Hospital program graduates 12 residents in family medicine each year, and has been providing residency training since 2006. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

March 4, 2015: MUST (LONG) READ! Special Issue of Journal Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering: Facing the Challenges – Research on Shale Gas Extraction

March 3, 2015: Eight Industry Leaders to Present in Toronto at Catastrophe Response Unit Seminar for “all insurance claims management, adjusters and industry personnel” includes feature presentation: “Fracking Induced Earthquakes”

March 3, 2015: More peer-reviewed studies indicating health harm from fracing and natural gas production, Dogs “found to be particularly sensitive, suggesting both health concerns for the animals and new ways to track pollution through animals’ exposures”

March 2, 2105: N.D. Supreme Court approves benefits in vapor death; Industry Group Issues Warning For Fracking Vapors: ‘One Breath Could be Death’

February 27, 2015: Not even Peace Region MLAs have Intrinsik’s frac health harm report that’s been reportedly sitting on Health Minister’s desk since March 2014; Government currently “compiling all the data” and will be “releasing a report in the next couple of months.” What happened to Intrinsik? Their contract says they are to compile the data and produce the final report

February 19, 2015: British Columbia’s Ministry Health withholding data, report of scientific research on how oil and gas operations are affecting human health in northeast communities; Refusing to release even under FOIP: “could be harmful to the financial interest of a public body”

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