BRITISH COLUMBIA An investigation by Ann Pappert for the Globe and Mail (Nov. 2, 4, 1985) into unsafe medical devices used in Canadian hopsitals has come up with some star- tling and frightening facts: @ An estimated 20-80 Canadians a year die from one unsafe device alone — oxygen tubing becoming dis- connected during operations. Other examples of faulty equipment include electro-surgical knives that cause burns (estimated at 600 a year), faulty drills used in brain surgery and disintegration of heart valves; @ Some 5,000 new devices come on the market each year; 20-50 per cent of new equipment is faulty; ® Most accidents involving medical equipment are never reported; ® Manufacturers keep secret reports they get about faulty equipment; ®@ Less than 40 of Canada’s 1,400 hos- pitals have biomedical engineers on staff — specialists who maintain and repair medical equipment. Others rely on regu- lar maintenance staff, electricians, jani- tors and outside TV repair shops; ® Canada has no uniform standards governing thousands of pieces of medical equipment; Harry Rankin ®@ Most medical equipment sold in Canada is tested only by the manufac- turers. Canadians may well ask: How could this happen in our country? Haven’t we some government body that checks on medical equipment and ensures public safety? The answer is that we have a Bureau of Medical Services working under the direction of the Department of Health and Welfare. But its main role is to pro- tect the manufacturers, not the public. Consider these facts: @ When it becomes necessary to warn hospitals of hazardous devices, the bureau must receive the consent of the manufacturer before it can send out such a warning; @ The Canadian Association of the Manufacturers of Medical Devices (only 500 of the 6,000 manfaucturers of medi- cal devices are Canadian) has often asked the bureau to charge companies selling equipment fraudulently, but the bureau refuses to do so; @ The bureau has the power to charge manufacturers who break the law but it Strict standards needed for safety of patients, not companies’ profits never has. The director of the bureau recently told the manufacturers that reg- ulatory action is counter-productive. “We are not here to take people to jail or punish them,” he said. @ In one case oxygen tubing used in dialysis was found to be contaminated with paint chips, wood slivers, soot and metal tracings. Even the bureau felt it was unfit for.use, but the manufacturer wrote hospitals telling them it was okay - and the bureau did nothing to charge the manufacturers. To add insult to injury the Depart- ment of Health and Welfare, which is under the direction of federal minister Jake Epp, recently proposed that new criteria be introduced under .which manufacturers no longer would have to prove the safety of a device before it is put on the market. : And to make sure that the bureau ts not in a position to defend the safety of Canadians even if it wanted to, its staff is held at 70 people and it has only 19 inspectors for Canada’s 1,400 hospitals. What the Department of Health and its Bureau of Medical Services are doing is deregulating the health industry. This is in line with Tory government policy of deregulating all industry: let the manu- facturers do what they want, let them sell what they want, free of all government rules, regulations or restrictions; let them use Canadians as guinea pigs; if Canadi- ans die what does it matter? The main thing is that deregulation increases profit and that’s what counts in our society. I don’t think Canadians will stand for or accept this state of affairs. All medical devices used in our hospitals should meet strict standards established by responsi- ble bodies. No device should be put on the market that hasn’t been tested by independent bodies and found to be safe for humans. Any company violating these stand- ards should be prosecuted. The Bureau of Medical Devices should be upgraded and restored to its original purpose which was to protect the health and lives of Canadians. If health minister Jake Epp won’t do this, then the government should give him a dishonorable discharge. We can’t allow the health and lives of Canadians to be trifled with any longer just to please U.S. corporations. Vancouver will place another jewel in its next year when plans for a gigantic peace festival to mark the city’s centennial reach fruition. In the works are a three-day symposium with world-renowed speakers such as John K. Galbraith and the USSR’s Georgi Arbatov and a rally for the annual Walk for Peace in B.C. Place stadium. “Since Vancouver would be among the first cities destroyed in a nuclear war, it seems highly appropriate,” Dr. Tom Perry, sub-chair of the festival committee, told city council Nov. 5. The committee, chaired by Ald. Bruce Yorke, is a branch of the centennial com- mission planning celebrations for Vancouv- er’s 100th birthday in 1986. It comprises representatives of several peace and other organizations, including End the Arms Race, the B.C. Teachers Fed- eration, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Project Ploughshares. Perry, a leading member of PSR’s B.C. chapter, told the Tribune the aim of the festival is to educate Vancouver residents on the nuclear war danger and to strike a series of proposals for peace to be sent to world leaders. “We aim to put together a program sim- ilar to the five-continent appeal, but appropriate to the conditions of 1986,” said Perry. The symposium, consisting of five ses- sions, will run Apr. 24-26, concluding with the peace walk and rally Apr. 27. Among the participants confirmed are U.S. SALT II negotiator Paul Warnke, Arbatov, Galbraith, Victoria Catholic Bishop Remi De Roo, United Autoworkers president Bob White, New Zealand MP Jim Anderton (who addressed the Walk for Peace rally last April), Generals for Peace Vancouver city council wants financial, legal and institutional autonomy from the provincial government, and is aiming to make the request a key election issue. At its Nov. 5 meeting council voted, at the initiative of Ald. Bruc Eriksen of the Committee of Progressive Electors, for the “three autonomies” long advocated by the civic group. _ “Frankly, we’re fed up with the provin- cial government thwarting every decision council or the citizens of Vancouver make,” said Eriksen later. He pointed to Victoria’s refusal to grant changes to the city’s charter on such matters Peace festival set — for city’s 100th crown as the “peace capital of Canada” . City seeking autonomy from provincial gov't — _ School board vigil called The Committee of Progressive Electors has called a candlelight vigil in front of the Van- couver school board offices to demand a by- election for school trustees in the city. ‘The vigil, set for Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., happens on the eve of municipal elections across British Columbia. “Other voters across British Columbia will be voting on Nov. 16. We should be as well,” states the leaflet COPE is distributing to pro- mote the “vigil for democracy.” Both the Vancouver and Cowichan school boards were fired by Education Minister Jack Heinrich last spring for refusing to adopt budgets within the cutbacks framework dic- tated by the government’s restraint program. The government appointed trustees to administer both districts, including Allan Sta- bles in Vancouver. Since then, the leaflet States, homeowner taxes have risen by an average 34 per cent, a $7-million board reserve fund has been “used up” to balance the 1985-86 school budget, cutbacks in staff positions are eyed for 1986, and Stables has announced plans to close schools and sell off school property. (The Social Credit government has denied requests from several quarters, including Van- couver city council, to call a byelection and has refused to allow normally scheduled elections in Cowichan this year.) Vancouver school board offices are located on 10th Avenue West, near Granville Street. | 2.e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 13, 1985 founder Gen. Gert Bastian, Admiral Eugene Carroll (ret.) of the U.S. Centre for Defence Information, and Canadian dis- armament ambassador Doug Roche. : The sessions will be chaired by Canada’s — United Nations ambassador, Stephen Lewis, Vancouver Ald. Libby Davies, — National New Democratic party president Marion Dewer and Kathleen Wallace- — Deering of Project Ploughshares. Drafting the document containing prop- — osals arising from the symposium are Nobel — Prize winners Sean McBride, Alfonso Gar- — cia Robles, and Prof. Dorothy Hodgkin. “We're inviting all speakers to send their proposals in advance,” said Perry. a Symposium topics include the current — status of the world’s nuclear arsenals, the — harmful economic and’social effects of the arms race, the effect of nuclear-weapons building on the third world, actions to pro- mote disarmament and the role of govern- ments in preventing nuclear war. - Perry said the proposals will be sent to — the leaders of all countries represented in the — North Atlantic Treaty Organization andthe Warsaw Pact military alliances. = The annual Walk for Peace, which last — year drew more than 80,000 participants, | will be restructured, said Perry. Peace — marchers will gather in “three orfour” parts — of the city for separate walks to the rally — point — the 65,000-seat capacity B.C. Place Stadium. ; The symposium proposals will be for- — warded to the crowd for their approval, he — said. Other peace festival events include a film festival, a youth program and variety show, — a candlelight parade Apr. 26, and a peace — concerts i The city is contributing $80,000 towards — the event. Other funding is being sought — from federal government bodies, PSR and — private foundations, Perry told council. as a ward system, the provincial goverl- ment’s “inteference” with city zoni through megaprojects such as B.C. Plac& and the firing of the elected Vancouvel school board. _ The resolution, acknowledging that the city must wait until 1991 before trying ' entrench the three autonomies in the Can@ dian constitution, urges the province ei create a provincial constitution which would entrench as far as possible the juni diction andi taxing powersof locally elected governments, which f= would include at} least municipalities and school districts.” | It lists the auto- | nomies as: © Law-making: “A defined area of legislative compe- } tence to be reserved for municipal govern- Le ment;” : , @ Financial: The BRUCE ERIKSEN fiscal authority for direct taxation “the right of participation in interg0" ernmental tax-sharing agreement;” © Institutional: “The right to adopt, also to amend, by appropriate pr % one’s own charter, without the n recourse to any other level of governmen™ The motion also requests all provin’ parties, in light of the anticipated SP election, to state their position on the 4 nomy issue.