Tag Archives: Aref Tabarsi

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 The Dark Side Of VIHA (Vancouver Island Health Authority)

(Editor’s note: The following open letter mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

An open letter to the Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health for B.C. from Lois Jarvis, Richard Hagensen and Joanne Banks on Behalf of Citizens for Quality Health Care.

17 years ago, 6 people from the Comox Valley and 4 from Campbell River formed Citizens for Quality Health Care (CFQHC) to lobby for 2 acute care fully functional hospitals as all previous studies indicated were needed for the largest geographical area of Vancouver Island. VIHA had planned to downsize the Campbell River Hospital to a triage centre and replace both hospitals with one hospital located 40+ km south of Campbell River which would have been disastrous for all the people of the North Island and the Campbell River economy. 

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Health

Citizens for Quality Health Care Call For independent Enquiry into Campbell River Hospital lab

(Editor’s note: The following article mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

Island Health has long been ignoring North Island concerns about the manner in which consultations for clinical pathology samples were transferred to Nanaimo and Victoria. Seventy-five doctors and dozens of lab technologists and assistants in Campbell River made their opposition known. The Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District Board has been seeking to opt out since November 2019 and at its last meeting before COVID struck requested the area’s original pathology services be reinstated. Two Comox Valley pathologists, Dr. Chris Bellamy and Dr. Wayne Donn, recently tended their resignations because of ‘differences with Island Health’. They will be leaving on August 23rd, 2020. Now Citizens for Quality Health Care (CFQHC) is calling for an independent enquiry into the changes at the Campbell River Hospital Lab, which also serves outlying areas like Cortes, Quadra and the rest of the Discovery Islands.

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Finances, Health

Protect Our Hospital Services

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(Editor’s note: The following article mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

According to Dr David Robertson of Island Health, transferring the consultation of clinical pathology samples from Campbell River to specialists in Nanaimo and Victoria was a significant improvement. He insists the turnaround time on lab results is consistent with, or better than, when those services were provided in Campbell River. Dr. Aref TabarsiI, senior general pathologist at the Campbell River hospital, 75 doctors, the Campbell River Hospital’s surgeons, lab technologists, assistants and board of directors all disagree. Campbell River’s City Council, the Regional Hospital Board and the laboratory staff demand that local pathology services be restored – but neither Island Health or the Ministry of Health are responding. Two hundred citizens came to hear more at the Citizens for Quality Health Care/Council of Canadians Town hall meeting ‘Protect Our Hospital Services’ held in the Campbell River Sportsplex on Sunday, Feb 9, 2020. 

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Health

Is VIHA Favouring Profit Over Patient Care?

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(Editor’s note: The following article was originally published in Decafnation and mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

By George Le Masurier

When the Vancouver Island Health Authority ordered the discontinuation of onsite clinical pathologists’ services at the Campbell River Hospital, there was an overwhelming and immediate protest by surgeons, lab technologists and assistants, elected officials and the general public.

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Health

What VIHA’s Pathology Plan Means To Us

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(Editor’s note: The following article was originally published on Decafnation and mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

By George Le Masurier

Imagine you are the Campbell River parent of a four-year-old boy who has been feeling tired for the past few days. Suddenly, in the morning, you notice he has a stiff neck and a high fever.

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