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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-11-21, Page 13THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1990. PAGE 13. Speaker says hospitals must start working together About 30 people attended a public meeting in Goderich on Thursday, November 8 to provide input on health care services and how to keep them affordable. The meeting was sponsored by the Comprehensive Health System Planning Commission, comprised of 11 professionals working their way through southwestern Ontario. It was commissioned by the former Liberal government. One speaker Dan Steyn told Second stage housing for battered women gets go-ahead from Prov. Ministry Both provincial Ministries of Housing and Community and So­ cial Services have given approval and go ahead to Phoenix of Huron, a community-based incorporated organization, to build second stage housing for battered women throughout Huron County. The project involves building a total of 22 units at three separate sites in Goderich (10 units), Clinton (6 units), and Exeter (6 units). By building in three communities ra­ ther than a central, larger building in just one town the project is truly responsive to accessibility and geographic realities in this rural community. Julie Lee, President, said “Com­ ing to this point has been a very involved and exciting process. Throughout this process, we have met with concerned community people and prospective neighbours throughout the County. In this way, we are not entering a community without a basis of support’’. Lee said that the project was initiated through the Survival Through Friendship House of Huron County, a crisis shelter and counselling centre for assaulted women, after they had completed a research project to examine the needs of their clients and the feasibility of going ahead with the project. Second stage is designed to provide a more supportive way those assembled that there is very heavy turf protection among the five county hospitals. He said that hospitals usually keep any informa­ tion concerning new services under wraps until it is virtually in place. Should a hospital be providing a new service, he says, they won’t tell the others because they don’t want to be beaten, adding that he is guilty as well. Mr. Steyn said that he is presently trying to persuade a specialist to come to Clinton, for battered women to re-enter their communities after the crisis period has passed (six week limit stay at the shelter). In second stage housing the women and their chldren can move into a private apartment with the added benefits of financial subsidization and the attached counselling programme. Lee said, “it’s not at all reasonable to expect that women who have been through such a trauma can pick up all the pieces in just six weeks. Their whole life changes, their economic support, their friends, their children’s lives, etc., etc.’’ Between January 6 and 20, 1990 a thief stole 4 mag tire rims from the upstairs section of a private garage at lot 16, cone. A Howick Township. Description: 4-14’’ Indy 500, centre line style mag rims. something he hadn’t mentioned earlier because he didn’t want anyone else to grab him first. This type of thinking, he said, has to stop. The hospitals serve about 55,000 people and were according to Mr. Steyn probably put in place as a result of transportation conditions and some politics. Rapidly rising prices have out­ stripped even the significantly increased amount of money being There has been some confusion that the Phoenix project is replac­ ing the Survival Through Friend­ ship House. “What needs to be understood’’, said Lee, “is that we now have a two-step residential process for women who are assaul­ ted by their partners: a) the crisis shelter for immediate safety and support and b) longer-term hous­ ing, eight to twelve months, in order to support the women re­ building their lives for the long- haul.” The Phoenix Board expects that all three sites will open their doors in March of 1991. Crime of the Week A Break, Enter and Theft took place at Fordwich between June 15 and 16, 1989 when an unknown thief entered a residence at 19 Queen Street, Fordwich, Ontario through an unlocked door and stole the following property: 1 - Hitachi Walkman; 1 - grey leather coat; 1 - dark blue winter coat, make Baylor Co., made of nylon; 1 - 66 oz. bottle of Black Velvet whiskey; 1 - carton Players Light cigarettes; 1 - large glass jar containing about $300 in change. allotted to health care, meaning that the county hospitals must begin to look closely at co-ordinat­ ing services among them, said Mr. Steyn. He is in favour of a district health council or any similar body that would make decisions about county health matters. He suggested that it is probably the politics involved in most district health councils that irks many opponents. “The perception is that once you get appointed (to a district health council) you have accountability to the government in power rather than those who need the services. Norman Hayes, executive direc­ tor of Wingham and District Hospi­ tal agreed but added that a district health council was too limited. Mr. Hayes felt that the commit­ tee shouldn’t stop with health but should also deal with social service, education, and even transportation issues. He cited areas such as shelters and educational upgrading for abused women that need to be included in overall health care. These two issues are under the care of the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of RECIPES c H Education respectively. Medical Officer of Health for the County Dr. Maarten Bokhout sug­ gested that part of the reason for the turf wars may be too much funding as opposed to too little. “This is an odd thing to say in a time of scarce resources, but 1 worked in a system, where never mind a cost of living increase, the budget increased by one per cent in absolute dollars.” He was referring to a five-year stint for him working in Newfoundland. He explained that an off-shoot of a health system that emphasizes money is a system that emphasizes high-tech equipment. The result of this is increased difficulty in gett­ ing new practitioners to hang out their shingles in smaller communi­ ties. Goderich physician Dr. James Rourke said that the theory that suggests if medical schools turn out enough doctors, there will be too many to set up shop in larger areas so some will have to relocate to small communities doesn’t work. “We want people who want to be here, not people who have to be,” he said. I S T M The Citizen will be publishing a Special FESTIVE SEASON COOK BOOK A S DEC. 5, 1990 We would appreciate our readers submitting their favourite Christ­ mas recipes for possible publication. Please forward your receipe by November 30, 1990.