"Speaking to reporters in front of Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, Hudak said “new evidence” uncovered by his party shows the ministry was informed on Feb. 11 about the mistakes but withheld the information from the public to “control the political fallout.”
He also criticized the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network for not coming forward with the information sooner."
“This is absolutely unacceptable ... and a betrayal of the public trust,” said Hudak after Hotel-Dieu security guards made him and his staff step off hospital property and onto the Goyeau Street sidewalk."
REPORTER SONJA PUZIC; THE WINDSOR STAR;
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BACKGROUND: During the past two years, this Blog has reported on a crisis in Canadian pathology indicated by serious breakdowns in hospitals in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario and elsewhere in the country. The purpose, beyond seeking review and reform, is to show that the wide-ranging problems with pathology in Canada were not limited to the criminal sector - and that serious errors, sometimes lethal, were being made in reading test results on living patients. In short, that there was a crisis in Canadian pathology.
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"The Ontario Ministry of Health participated in a “coverup” of pathology errors in Windsor that led to unnecessary or incorrect medical procedures, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak charged Monday," the story by Windsor Star reporter Sonja Puzic published earlier today under the heading, "Opposition leader accuses ministry of covering up pathology errors," begins.
"Speaking to reporters in front of Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, Hudak said “new evidence” uncovered by his party shows the ministry was informed on Feb. 11 about the mistakes but withheld the information from the public to “control the political fallout," the story continues.
"He also criticized the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network for not coming forward with the information sooner."
“This is absolutely unacceptable ... and a betrayal of the public trust,” said Hudak after Hotel-Dieu security guards made him and his staff step off hospital property and onto the Goyeau Street sidewalk.
Health Minister Deb Matthews dismissed Hudak’s allegations, saying the ministry acted immediately and appointed investigators to look into surgical and pathology errors in Windsor by March 1.
“Once again (Hudak) is demonstrating that he just doesn’t understand the issues,” Matthews said in an interview.
On Feb. 24, Hotel-Dieu revealed that Dr. Olive Williams, a pathologist who worked for all three area hospitals, was suspended because of errors in her reports. The announcement came shortly after two unnecessary mastectomies performed by surgeon Dr. Barbara Heartwell came to light.
About four weeks ago, the Ontario PC party released an internal Erie St. Clair LHIN report that provided some details on Williams’ alleged errors and suggested the embattled pathologist’s cataracts were partly to blame for the mistakes. The Tories obtained the February document through a Freedom of Information request and blasted the LHIN for not making the information public.
“We did not withhold any information whatsoever,” Erie St. Clair LHIN CEO Gary Switzer said Monday. He said he was verbally briefed about the problems in Windsor on Feb. 10 and the LHIN then contacted the ministry. But the reports coming from Hotel-Dieu had to be verified first, Switzer said.
“It would be wrong for us to act on every speculation we hear about until you confirm the facts,” he said.
“How irresponsible would that be? And we’re talking about patient records here. You don’t (discuss) that in the media.”
Hudak reiterated his position on the province’s 14 LHINs, calling them “unaccountable, secretive and entitled health care bureaucracies” and a waste of public money that should be going to front-line health care.
He said more than $11 million has been spent on administrative costs at the Erie St. Clair LHIN since 2006 and criticized “bloated” executive salaries, including more than $313,000 paid out to Switzer in 2009.
Hudak said a scathing Ontario Ombudsman’s report that blasted “illegal” and “sneaky” closed-door meetings held by LHIN boards for “educational” purposes is just another reason why LHINs should be eliminated.
Switzer has defended those meetings, saying the LHIN simply followed its bylaws when it closed them to the public. And although Matthews has instructed the LHINs to change that bylaw in light of the ombudsman’s report, she said the health agencies were operating within the rules.
Matthews said although there is room for improvement, the LHIN model is working.
The ministry’s probe of surgical and pathology issues in Windsor culminated in a 74-page report released two weeks ago that made sweeping recommendations, including that Windsor-Essex’s pathology services be consolidated at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The ministry appointed Malcolm Maxwell, CEO of Kitchener’s Grand River Hospital, as the facilitator who will oversee the implementation of those recommendations.
Matthews, along with local MPPs Dwight Duncan and Sandra Pupatello, will meet with senior staff at Hotel-Dieu today to discuss the ministry report."
The story can be found at:
http://www.windsorstar.com/health/Opposition+leader+accuses+ministry+covering+pathology+errors/3406074/story.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be accessed at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
For a breakdown of some of the cases, issues and controversies this Blog is currently following, please turn to:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-feature-cases-issues-and_15.html
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;