The Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-12-12, Page 34Page 2--Lpckaow. Sentinel, Wednesday, December 19, 1979
Kinettes lead campaign to
e -open children's .ward
Inside
edition
Kinloss
Kinloss Central .Public..
School students have written .
Christmasstories and poetry
and some with artistic tal-
ents, have drawnChristmas
pictures. ;lead about A Too
Fat Santa, The True Mean-
ing of Christmas '• and How
Children' Spend -)Christmas,
in our .second .section.
When we held our Christ-
mas recipe contest in Nov-
ember,: we were, swamped
with entries and asa result
were unable to print all of
your recipes in, the recipe
book . we published. Those
recipes which did not appear
in our cookbook can befound
in today's' second section,.
Contest winners will be an-
nounced early in the New
Year.
• .
The Wingham „Dinette Club has initiated a
wave of public response to the Wingham and
District Hospital's decision to close the
Children's Ward on the first floor and move
it to the sebond floor.
The decision toclose the first floor ward
was made in September, when the hospital
was forced to close 14 beds to, adhere to
Ministry of Health guidelines.
The hospital's administration moved the
ward from the first floor` five room unit to a
Om room ,unit on the second floor. The
children's ward now shares a nursing station
with medical and surgical wards on the ,
second floor, eliminating the additional
nursing station for the pediatrics wing on the
first floor,
When the matter was raised at the
October meeting of the hospital's Board of
Directors, Executive Director, Norman Hay-
es told the board it was not necessary to
bring such a decision` to the board for
approval, because it was an admhistrative
decision dealing with the efficient'operation
of the hospital.
The Wingham Kinettes. disagree. It 'is,
their opinion that such a move . should have
been presented to the board and should have
been made public, They. `feel' it has. Stich
impact ..on the community served - .by the
hospital, the .public .should have been
informed of the ;impending move., before it
was made and their representatives on the
board _should have had : a , hand -4 in the'
decision.
The Kinettes have presented their views
in a factual advertisement placed in last
week's Wingham Advance -Times.. Past
president of the Kinettes, Yvonne Carter,
said the club felt the ptbhc should be made
aware of the ward's closure and . re -location;
before they go to the hospital with their sick
children.
The public response to the advertisement
has "mushroomed" said Carter on Tuesday..
People have phoned their support, have
written letters and are stopping the Kinettes
on the• street to tell them They support their..
attempt to have the decision .reconsidered.
Members of the Kinloss-Kairshea Wom
en's Institute have sent a letter outlining
their disapproval of the . move to v'ario
Members of the hospital staff including tffe
executive. , director,and the ; .director of
nursing as well"• as the chairman of the
hospital board and the president of the
women's 'auxiliary to the hospital. •
A story detailing' the; oblations raised by
•T. ,•l•r fir.
•
the institute appears elsewhere in today's
Sentinel and the letter is printed on today's.
editorial page.
'The Wingham Kinettes hope public outcry,
willencourage the hospital board and "the
hospital's administration to reconsider their
decision to move the children's ward, said
Carter. They feel the loss of the former ward
is jeopardizing the health care of the
children of this community..
The former location on the first floor was a
five room, self-contained unit which had a
lar$e playroom) enough rooms to allow :• for
separation of ages, sexes and diseases and
several bathrooms. ,It'also had a. separate fire
exit. ' '
A play therapy schedule with voluntary
play therapists was in place, It. had its own
kitchen, nursing station, medication cup-
board, linen cupboard and its own nursing,
staff. It also had the flexibility to allow for
isolation. The former unit kept children well
away from other patients.
The new location has no separate fire exit,
no playroom, and only one bathroom 'for all
patients. It shares its nursing staff with adult
medical and surgical patients, increasing the
risk of cross-infection.`Conditions' are crowd-
ed and , ages, sexes and diseases . are
combined in two rooms: The new unit will
not . allow for the alreadyy estabh's ed play
therapy program..
The ad goes on to say the move was not
made for better facilities. Th e new location
doesnot have the room to ,utilize the
equipment already purchased or donated.
The ^ move : was not made : for health
reasons. Instead, it is exposing children and
other patients , `to • a greater risk . of
The jolly old Man himself, Santa Cleas,..made his .anndalvisit •
to Sepoy Towu on Saturday afternoon. This year he irode into
towor. in style, aboard the Lucknow District Fire Department's
fire. engine; It is the first year in several that Santa has 'come
Into townits a :parade, The Lucknow Leos organized the
parade and were assisted by the :Lucknow . District; kinsmen
and the Lacknow $usinesrg ;Association who ,sponsored
Santa's party at the :Lucknow Central Public School following
the parade. [Sentinel'Staff Photo]
bject to ward closure
The Kinloss-Kairshea Women's Institute
is disturbed by the change of location of .thq
• Children's Ward Wadi at . the Wingham and
District Hospital. The Institute worked. to
raise money to equip the former ward's
playroom with toy's and games and they are
disappointed to see the playroom area for
the ward disappear.
In a letter writing 'campaign they are
urging strongly that the pediatric ward .be..
returned to its former 4location. They have
sent copies of .,:their .letter. to William '.
Woodley, director of nursing, Wingham and
District Hospital;. Mary Vair, President of
the Wingham and District Hospital Auxili-
ary; Norman Hayes, Executive Director of
Wingham and District Hospital, and area
newspapers..
The Institute's letter stresses that the. fire
Town to page 5*
The .best wishes of this'
Yuletide season ,to you and all
those you hold near and dear.
ala A
Best wishes
fora season
filled with
good health,
4"":. good cheer
for you and
wT' . your family.
Wewish to
extend our
g thanks to
all our fine
friends and
-• neighbors
for their
loyalty and
confidence.
'Oft of Flowers
:For Christmas. •
or be, 'your own Santa Claus
_ J r't •
h• , r,.
'1` 644E 'lilt ...
ry
See our wide selecton
of poinsett�ds
and Christnlas t(%
Centre Pieces
Qvinh's Flowers & Gifts
Lockport Phone 538:2089
• •••••••••;:•,,,y,,,,,,,4,0,••••••.•
• �i k' ;w
Steve Owen Ault
R. R. 1 Lucknow