Whistleblower on Oil Sands Rewarded with a complaint

[ken hanly <northsunm@xxxxxxxxx>]

It might give more strength to Canada Health's side to
release the report of Alberta Health. It seems that
they fear a critical analysis of the report. This is
just the sort of situation accused terrorists face.
They cannot see the evidence against them. Is the
release of the report a threat to National Security
since it might threaten Oil Sands development!

Cheers, Ken Hanly


Oilsands-area hamlet supports whistleblower MD
Physician raised concerns about high cancer rates
downstream from oil projects
Last Updated: Monday, March 5, 2007 | 6:39 AM ET
CBC News
A small Alberta community is rallying behind a local
doctor they believe is being silenced by Health Canada
because he raised concerns about high rates of cancer
near the booming oilsands.

Health Canada officials have filed a complaint against
Dr. John O'Connor.

O'Connor alerted the media last year to a what he
believed was a disproportionately high incidence of
colon, liver, blood and bile-duct cancers in patients
who live in Fort Chipewyan, a small community
downstream from major petroleum refineries.

In filing the complaint against O'Connor with the
Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons, Health
Canada did not explain the action, but said the doctor
was causing undue harm.

Meanwhile, physicians who work alongside O'Connor in
Fort Chipewyan believe officials are targeting their
colleague because his comments potentially threaten
billions of dollars of investment in the province's
oilsands.

"I am absolutely shocked that they would treat a
physicians of this calibre like this. There's a
deliberate attempt to beat him down or shut him up,"
the area's head nurse, George MacDonald, said.

Continue Article

Since O'Connor spoke to the media last year, Alberta
Health followed up on his concerns and did an analysis
of the community. Although the ministry refused to
release its report, a version obtained by the CBC
shows O'Connor was mostly right ? there are more cases
than normal of liver, bile duct, colon cancer and
cancers of the blood.

But the numbers are not as high as he thought, and
Alberta Health says the rates are not statistically
high enough to be any cause for concern.

Community physicians want to know if that's true. The
Nunee Health Authority believes one way to find out is
to conduct more thorough health studies, not attack
its doctor.

"It really upsets me because it's just not right. He's
standing up for us," said Donna Cyprian, who works at
the health authority.

John Rigny, a patient of O'Connor's for years, said
the people in Fort Chipewyan have long asked for a
comprehensive health study.

Dr. Michel Sauvé, who heads the intensive care unit in
Fort McMurray where O'Connor is based ? he flies in to
Fort Chipewyan on Tuesdays and Wednesdays ? said
doctors who identify potential public health problems
should be protected rather than punished.

"Obviously, we need some whistleblower protection,
some laws that will banish these kinds of repressive
censorship. Punishing and trying to single out a
physician to shut him up is not in the public
interest," he said.

O'Connor's lawyer say he is not speaking to the media
until the complaint is resolved.


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