8 - Friday, January 25, 1991 ~ North Snore News Stephen Lewis talks about war Former UN ambassador speaks at doctors’ conference STEPHEN LEWIS, the former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, will give a per- sonal perspective on the crisis in the Persian Gulf tonight in Whistler when he addresses a public forum of doctors at a con- ference on the politics of health care in the 1990s. By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter Originally intending to speak on the art of negotiating, Lewis changed his topic in keeping with the conflict in the Middle East. Called Speciality GP 91: A Meeting of the Minds, the three- day conference is expected to at- tract members of the medical communities from several coun- tries. The conference is hosted by Lions Gate Hospital in association with hospitals from across Canada, the U.S., Switzerland, England, Israel, Japan and New HOME FRONT ~ Zealand. A member of the organizing committee, Dr. Robert Scott of West Vancouver said part of the impetus for the conference came from the infighting in the B.C. Medical Association between specialists and general practi- tioners over the past year. At one point, they were con- sidering splitting into two groups, Scot said. The goal of the conference is to bring specialists together with Gis “to try and create a dialogue away from home,”’ Scott said. {In addition to Lewis, other keynote speakers include Dr. Bogdan Marinescu, Romania’s health minister, who will discuss medical problems faced in eastern Europe. Dr. Yakov Zilberg, the medical director of ihe Jezreel Valley Medical Centre in Afula, Israel is scheduled to speak, but the Gulf war has made his attendance at the conference unlikely. Canadian keynote speakers in- clude Dr. Lionel Lavoie, president of the Canadian Medical Associa- tion; Judy Erola, president of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada; Dr. Hedy Fry, president of the BCMA; and Mark McElwain, senior policy advisor to the national minister of health and welfare. Health-care funding and negotiations with governments are some of the topics scheduled to be covered during the 40 presentations at the conference. ‘‘Although some of the organizations and speakers may be deemed as coming with their own political agenda, we want an open dialogue and to listen to what they say,” Scott said. He added that presentations by specialists will be given twice — once at the GP level and once at the specialist level —- so both groups can participate in the talks. Lewis’s presentation will bz open to the public and is sched- uled to run from 7:45-8:30 p.m. in the Sea Ballroom of the Whistler Conference Centre. Lewis and all the other keynote speakers will participate in a subsequent ques- tion and answer period. NV doctor leading diabetic drug testing A NORTH Vancouver doctor is spearheading the final stages of testing a drug designed to reduce cholesterol levels in diabetic pa- tients. By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter Working in association with the Shaughnessy Lipid Clinic and the Seattle Lipid Research Clinic, Dr. John Hunt will put the drug, fluvastatin, through its final tests before it is made available to the public. As the head of Lions Gate Hospital’s diabetes day centre, Hunt is searching for volunteers to take the drug. The volunteers must be diabetics with high cholesterol and high tri-glycerides (blood fat). According to Hunt, the in- cidence of heart disease in diabetics is 50 per cent as com- pared with 25 per cent in the non-diabetic population. To be eligible for the project, volunteers must first spend 16 weeks on a_ strict cholesterol- lowering diet. If their cholesterol level is still high after the diet, they are eligible to take the drug for a 16-week trial period. Hunt estimates that he will have to screen 100 people in order to get the 20 volunteers needed. He has already screened 60 people, of which only four or five were eli- | where your child can see it. ( KIDS! ear yout Sundays, Wednesdays of ~ delivering own money by Pick two d gible for the study after the diet stage. ‘*What it tells you is that people don’t follow their diet,’’ Hunt said. Fluvastatin, which is made by Sandoz, is a safe drug with no apparent side effects, he said. “Anyone who joins in can do nothing but benefit cither way.”’ To volunteer for the study, call the LGH medical day centre at 988-3131. yj, I'm Read, the No 1 want to tal to you Pa save, the NO Fridays. it leaves you HOME FROM he Gulf Crisi Funds collected for war victims THE CANADIAN Red Cross Society will be collecting dona- tions at Capilano Mall until Sunday night for the victims of the conflict in the Persian Gulf. The drive is part of a massive appeal for donations launched by the Red Cross to meet the needs of people caught in the Gulf crisis. All donations will go towards medical aid, relief re- quirements, protection and tracing activities for the wounded and shipwrecked, prisoners of war, detainees and refugees. “‘According to the latest sit- uational report from Interna- tional Red Cross and Red Crescent offices in Geneva, a special emergency appeal world-wide has been launched for the equivalent of $124 mil- fion,’? said Sara Taylor, chairman of the local commit- tee on international activities. Tax receipts will be issued. Donations can also be mailed to the Canadian Red Cross Society at 4750 Oak St., Van- couver, B.C., V6H 2N9. rth Shore News. shout earning There are no collections 0 to do the things you want. e MONTHLY NEWSLETTER e MONTHLY PRIZES CALL DISTRIBUTION FOR A ROUTE