In Saskatchewan, we have the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) which could have drilled some $40-million hole in the ground in pursuing their dark vision to provide health records for any resident of Saskatchewan. As we have already noted in another article, $40-million is nothing when you realize the legal governmental interest for having health records for every Canadian resident. We must remember that the infamous HRDC department had an illegal file for every Canadian, and now that the government was told to destroy these files we have the legalized vision to have governmental health records for every Canadian. And therefore, the search for this vision will continue with the digging of more holes in the ground and as a consequence, the following remarks have been made on behalf of SHIN's survival:

-Dr. Dennis Kendel, registrar of the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons, and board member of SHIN, has singled out that "the proposed computerized health registry can help minimize such blatant cases of prescription abuse." In accordance to Dr. Kendel, our medical practice must be supported by digitized data in the SHIN's computer system. Never mind if the Privacy Commissioner has specifically found significant concerns with the introduction of national standards for reporting prescription drug use;

-Shelley Lipon, new CEO for SHIN, has stated "maybe, five years ago, you could have said yes or no to a SHIN, but not now. Saskatchewan can't sit back and be archaic. I mean, good bye to all our young nurses and doctors if that's the case." So after spending millions and millions of dollars for SHIN, we must continue to dig more holes in the ground otherwise our nurses and doctors will be leaving the province. Maybe Lipon doesn't know that our nurses and doctors have been leaving the province for sometime.

-Shelly Lipon and our StarPhoenix journalists come to the defense of SHIN since SHIN is a vehicle to wrangle and tap money from the federal government.

So the saga of health care continues as our big brains continue to wrangle for the tapping of money from our governments under the dark vision of centralizing health records for every Canadian.

References/notes

Relevant political and economics articles http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign

SHIN evolution must be logical, SP Opinions, January 3, 2001, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

The SHIN Saga of Health Reform: Common Problem, No Problem?, by Mario deSantis, December 18, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/weekly_index/Site%20Work/Ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantis290/noproblem.html

Taking away our freedom: Health Records and SHIN, by Mario deSantis, December 20, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/weekly_index/Site%20Work/Ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantis292/records.html

ANNUAL REPORT 1999-2000, Privacy Commissioner http://www.privcom.gc.ca/english/02_04_08_e.htm A quote: Privacy is related entirely to the degree to which we respect each other as unique individuals, each with our own sets of values which we are entitled to make known or not as we see fit. To truly respect your neighbour, you must grant that person a private life. Respecting one another's privacy means the difference between a life of liberty, autonomy and dignity, and a hollow and intimidating existence under a cloud of constant oppressive surveillance. -- Bruce Phillips, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 1999

The picture at the top of this morning's story about SHIN is dawn this morning, taken by Judy Shire.