BristolUK

Is this all of Canada or just some parts with an obsession with total secrecy privacy?

In recent times I've seen things in the local paper about incidents involving teachers or child deaths for example. All that is reported is the number. Nothing else.

Fair enough not to identify an individual or some information leading to the identification of an individual but, really, what's the point in a number? What's wrong with announcing what % of child deaths, for example, were accidental or resulted from neglect or disease or whatever? It seems pointless just to announce a number and nothing more.

What I found especially annoying is yesterday the health department here announced a death (just that there had been one) of someone who had a heat related death. I'm not expecting a name or even where they lived. But "he had a number of chronic conditions" isn't really enough.

The complete lack of any other information is due to "privacy issues" but why is naming someone who died in a previously reported fatal vehicle accident or someone shot dead any less private?

What a fantastic opportunity this heat related death would be as a warning for others to take appropriate care in extreme weather. Name the age or chronic condition as being a contributing factor - nobody is going to say "aha, that must be Jack Jones of Saint John" or maybe a brief explanation of what happened - fell in their back yard and couldn't get attention; fell asleep; took the dog for a walk and didn't make it back; ran out of water....there must be something they could say that keeps identity private while providing useful information for other people and cut the likelihood of them dismissing the danger with an "I'll be fine" or whatever.

People are asked to keep an eye on neighbours; have an emergency supply kit; take a blanket with you if you drive when it's cold. Yet very little seems to be said about precautions in hot weather. Here was the ideal opportunity to warn people and the health department failed to take it.

scilly

It does seem to be very much a privacy concern, but one from the point of view of the person. I think public officials in many cases are running scared of being sued for ??? defamation, or whatever. Something that I think is a spill over from what happens below the line.

Although we have had many reminders from the doctors in the BC Public Health service re watching our neighbours and WHY. We're always being reminded to keep as cool as we can, seek air conditioned places, drink lots of water, wear a hat, etc etc etc., and to make sure that elderly or sick neighbours are also taking care of themselves.

We're just having a cool day (ca 20C) after our 5th heat wave of the summer (according to powers-that-be), with heat returning on Monday or Tuesday.

BristolUK

In the movies and on TV - no idea how accurate this is - patient or employee confidentiality doesn't apply when the person is dead. But that's still something associated with the individual. In this example there's no such association to be made.

Maybe someone should sue for not releasing pertinent information when that might have saved someone.
I see warnings on the weather network website, but nothing in the newspaper here. In the winter they carry the warnings about expected storms, only travel if necessary, stuff like that. But even then, you know how it is...everyone thinks these things happen to other people.

Give them an example of how it did happen to someone like them - mention the age, medical condition, how, where, whatever - and it might get taken more seriously.

Pollyana

Regarding the heatwave information being handled differently from other warnings - here in Queensland my department deals with natural disasters, and works closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to issue warnings about severe weather such as storms and floods. However for some reason heatwaves are not within our remit, they are not considered "severe weather" and are dealt with by the Health Department. We have only just started including them in reports, and we can only do that at the specific request of the health department. Similarly, a "drought" - as is currently beunbg experienced by a huge part of Australia - is not considered a "natural disaster" and we don't report on it.
Its probably a similar situation in Canada, all tied up in red tape.

caretaker

Just took a look at the Chronicle Herald and they say Nickleback's coming.... can't think of anything they wouldn't admit if they'll come right out with that.

BristolUK

That should give partiallydischarged a laugh too

BristolUK

Now there's a coincidence. Today's Moncton newspaper.

BristolUK

From CBC radio news this morning and its website.

New Brunswick's Justice and Public Safety department issued a statement over the weekend announcing the death last week of 27 year old Alisha Paul, a First Nations woman released from custody and hit by a vehicle when crossing the highway.

(apparently people do it sometimes to go to a store there )

The RCMP says "A 27-year-old woman from Kingsclear First Nation has died after being struck by a pickup truck as she was attempting to cross the highway" but they are not confirming her identity
Come on, it's already in the public domain. Obsessed with secrecy

Shard

I think there's some new trend about this. One mass killings in the US, for example, they're encouraging media not to name the shooter so as not to give him notoriety. Anyway, once the machines take over we're all just numbered biological meat-forms anyway, and entirely expendable. Could be that, especially if we are already in the simulation.

Partially discharged

Yes, I agree warning the inhabitants of a city that Nickelback is coming to do a concert is a good idea so people can make alternate plans. Same with radio stations....'coming up after the break we'll be featuring Nickelback...you have been warned'

1st prize - a pair of Nickelback tickets
2nd prize - 2 pairs of tickets.

scrubbedexpat091

One aspect of privacy trend in Canada is for police forces not to name murder victims, the RCMP and other police agencies tend to no longer name murder victims, the Vancouver Police has a much different opinion on it though, and almost always releases the names of victims once next of kin has been notified.

VPD's view:

“Homicide victims are not able to speak for themselves and we hope by sharing details of the offence, we will generate tips that could lead to the identity of those responsible for the death,” reads a statement from the VPD. “We never want to live in a society where someone can be murdered in secret.”


I get annoyed when different government departments need info from one another and I have to fill out a pile of forms in order for said government offices to talk to one another, so much wasted time and paper.

Shard

It is a waste of time. In due course we will all have an official digital identity which we can share (digitally).

BristolUK

The latest one.

NB Health Authority treats rare disease but they won't say what it was.

Someone visiting NB from another country fell ill and had several months of complex treatment including isolation for an infectious disease. There's no details of the patient or the family visited. Fair enough.
They've tested the family and nobody else infected so unless there's a long incubation period, which I assume the experts would know, there's no danger to anyone. The main doctor involved said he couldn't discuss in detail because of privacy rights (fair enough) but said he wasn't authorised to say what the disease was. "I don't quite see that" he stated but others obviously did.

That he was apparently allowed to say it wasn't Ebola does at least suggest there's some recognition of a public right to know but no more.

Funny thing...I looked at the Health Network website and there's an awful lot of detail there - albeit with a load of made up names - but there is a lot of treatment detail in a "aren't we good" sort of way. Just nothing about the disease itself.

I can see that if it had just happened, there might be some panic caused by an announcement - assuming it was Ebola or something else people have heard of and might panic about - but the patient fell ill last September.

Maybe the newspaper was just being mischievous with it's "won't say what it was" headline.

beckiwoo

Former Lancastrian

Well I guess when the public wanted privacy/confidentiality as they didn't want the nasty Government agencies knowing things about them.this is what we now have. Yes it has gone too far for certain things but apparently, privacy/confidentiality of individuals trumps the potential safety of the public.