HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-12-11, Page 5TNI HURON IXPOSITOR, D.aembor 11, 1!!-i
Health concerns from an agricultural perspective
Don'tpit towns against each other
g
Dear Editor:
The following is u letter
sent to Fraser Bell, the
Executive Director of the
Huron -Perth District Health
Council.
Dear Mr. Bell:
The Huron Federation of
Agriculture would• like to
respond to the recent report
by the Hospital Restructuring
Committee.
Firstly, agriculture is,
according to a study done this
year by Professor Harry
Cummings of the University
of Guelph, directly responsi-
ble for at least one in every
three jobs in Huron County.
This makes agriculture the
largest economic activity in
Huron County. The Huron
Federation of Agriculture is
most concerned that the spe-
cific, and possibly even gen-
eral health care needs of the
agricultural community may
not have been given the prop-
er weighting, or even consid-
ered at all, in the analysis and
evaluation leading up to the
Task Force report.
We wonder. for example,
how the health care needs of
the rapidly expanding Amish
community in the study area
could ever possibly have been
determined in a telephone
survey, since the Amish do
not use telephones'? This is
only one of a number of very
fundamental and very obvi-
ous structural flaws we see in
the entire process.
We now realize that we
should have been more force-
ful and more strident in pre-
senting the position of the
agricultural community, but
as a volunteer organization,
we have a limited ability to
deal with a great range of
issues concerning our mem-
bers.
The Huron Federation of
Agriculture is completely
opposed to any process which
pits community against com-
munity. The bitterness and
resentment will he felt and
remembered in each disen-
franchised community long
after the real or imagined
financial gains have been for-
gotten.
The agricultural community
has a long standing 'concern
with health care. It was the
farmers of Saskatchewan and
their leaders who, 60 years
ago during the Great
Depression. first developed
the basis of- our Canadian
health care system. If, 60
years ago, we in agriculture
had been swayed by people
who said that we couldn't
afford to have universal
health care, our Canadian
health care system would
never have gotten off the
ground.The agricultural com-
munity has been besieged for
60 years, from all sides, about
the high costs of providing
health care to its members.
Our response for all that time
has been, and continues to be,
that we can't afford not to be
providing the best possible
care available. What we can
afford has never been the rel-
evant issue. What we can't
afford to be without has
always been, and continues to
be, the only issue of relevance
to us.
The agricultural community
requires a full range of med-
ical services from pediatrics
to geriatrics. It makes sense to
us to have these services at
one location, and it also
makes sense to have these
services available locally in
order to best utilize the
advantages of being among
family and friends when med-
ical services are needed and
to reduce mental stress and
financial inconvenience for
patients and their families
when they have to travel to
distant health care facilities.
In economic terms, the farther
we have to go to health care,
the more it costs us in terms
of lost productivity. We are
concerned that our lost pro-
ductivity and increased costs
under any of the proposed
options were not evaluated, or
even considered, by the Task
Force.
Because of agriculture's
long history of involvement
with health issues, we have
never accepted, and do not
now accept, the premise that
health care should be subject
to across-the-board cuts. We
cannot help but believe the
across -the -board -cuts pro-
posed for health care are not
in the best interests of small
town and rural Ontario in
general, and are definitely not
in the best interests of the
agricultural industry in Huron
County. To us, proposals for
across-the-board health care
cuts closely reflect the type of
thinking that opposed univer-
sal health care in the first
place. To maintain our own
competitive advantage, the
largest industry in Huron
County cannot afford to lose
any of the health services now
available to its members and
their families, and we
absolutely cannot afford to
have community pitted
against community in, what
we believe, is a misguided
and badly flawed exercise.
In summary, the Huron
Federation of Agriculture
strongly supports the follow-
ing principles:
1. No facility or community
can be pitted against any
other.
2. Representatives from
agriculture, the largest eco-
nomic base in Huron, must be
included in proportionate
numbers for any and all future
studies and consultations.
3. Agriculture cannot afford
to lose any health care ser-
vices and facilities.
4. If the task at hand is as
important as claimed, it is
important to do it correctly,
not quickly.
Sincerely,
Stephen Thompson,
Past -President,
Huron County
Federation of Agriculture
Do we�know what other hospitals offer?
Dear Edi
1 am writing thisi letter with
regardst to the hospital
1
restructuring in-1uron-Perth.
First of all, as a satisfied
"customer" of Clinton Public
Hospital (CPH), I feel aban-
doned, forsaken, ignored,
Worthless, and forgiotten by
the restructuring options.
process. As a Reyistcred
Nurse employed at CPH I
feel all those same senti-
ments and more. In the DHC
report they don't mention
individual hospital's
strengths and weaknesses, no
mention of "you're doing a
good job hut," or "this is
what you're good at hut."
There's just no option at all
, for CPH and others.
The criteria listed for mak-
ing the DH,C decision i.e.h
• coordination, quality, access,
•
etc.1 could apply to any of the
hospitals in thc counties,
which leads,to the conclusion
that those who remain it the
options arc Netter facilities
and that's why they've come
through unscathed (so far).
)So now we have communi-
ties at each other's throats,
hospital turf protection which
has been on-going is being
fortified and barriers already
present in the past are being
reinforced All this is tearing
us apart bit by bit, causing
wounds that may never heal,
all at a critical time when we
should he working together
and standing as a united
whole.
I attended thc Scaforth
Public Information Meeting
re: the DHC proposals last
week and a young lady
stood
up and stated she knekv what
Seaforth had to offer as a
hospital but at the same time,
she wondered what other area
hospitals offered. She wanted
to make an informed decision
on her choice of the options.
The answer she got from
Scaforth Hospital's CEO was
vague and not all together
correct. Even he wasn't sure
what other hospitals had to
offer.
By the way, Clinton deliv-
ers 175-200 babies a year,
has two anesthetists, two sur-
geons we share with other
hospitals, one in-house sur-
geon for C-sections and three
internists we share with other
hospitals. To be fair though,
I'm not sure all that Seaforth
has to offer either, whichis'
the problem with all this I
think: I feel all our cards
should be laid on the table.
Take all the hospitals from
both counties and list what
they have to offer as far as
patient services, facility fea-
tures, medical man power,
budget, community support,
equipment, ALL their
strengths and weaknesses.
Most important, costing
should be figured into ALL
of this. True hospital costing
is one thing sadly missing in
the DHC report. •
The three options were cho-
sen with no costing consider-
ations whatsoever.
Furthermore, when the one
"option" is chosen front the
Save
hospitals of Huron
Huron realihe that there arc to any principal, and they will
he cuts and reductions to , inform you that, on average,
health care; in any given week, each
And whereas restructuring school may have need of
and financial responsibility emergency services several
can he accompanied without times per week. We must
direct hospital closures; remember, also, that some
The Huron Women Huron County hospitals do
Teachers' Association and its not simply draw from Huron
executive support the citizens and • Perth Counties
of Huron County in their but may also pull in clients
campaign to save the hospi- from northern Middlesex and
tats of Huron County. Lambton counties, and from
We support the retention of southern Bruce County -
scrvices at all Huron County areas containing several
sites. All of the towns which schools which arc at a dis-
currently'have`hospital sites tancc from any other medical
experience a high daily influx services.
of student population - many Should two hospital centres
from areas outside the actual in Huron be closed; schools
hospital drawing arca. These in some areas of the county
towns may contain as many would be obliged to over -
as five schools, with other come time and distance to
access emergency care from
CONTINUED on page 6
Dear Editor:
The fo:!. t'ing is a portion
of a letter sent to the Premier,
the Minister of Health and
our Local MPP by the Huron
Women Teachers'
Association concerning hos-
pital closures in Huron: -
Dear Mr. Premier:
Whereas the Honorable Jim
Wilson. Minister of Health
has announced an 18%
reduction to thc health sys-
tem which could result in
major cuts to hospital ser-
vices, reductions in
medical/surgical keds and
possible closures of hospi-
tals;
Whereas the futures of thc
hospitals within Huron
County arc currently under
review by the Huron -Perth
District Health Council; rural schools also dependent
Whereas thc citizens of upon hospital services. Ask
How many more Senor Macieiras must die?
CONTINUED from page 4
Royal Portuguese Brandy.
Namely, Five Star Macicira.
witnessed this mayhem began You can't fault a guy for
clearing hags away from the trying to help like that but I
arca at the top of the escalator do think we should have laws
so those still on it, wouldn't in place to have people like
trip upon arrival. him humanely executed.
He -- and it hurts me to this So happy just to be alive,
day to say this -- with good the two women wandered off
intentions, kicked my • toward thc luggage arca
shoulder hag out of the way without a "thank you" or a
and smashed my bottle of "desculpe-me."
Surviving is a snap I
thought, as I plodded through
Terminal # I , a steady stream
of brandy coming out of my
leather bag. Do-gooding is
rough.
How many more Senor
Maciciras must die before
Pearson Airport security put
up signs in Portuguese that
say: "Watch your step. Ours
move."
current three, only that option
will be costed. To make that
clear, only those three or four
hospitals in the chosen option
will actually be studied cost -
wise which is RIDICU-
LOUS.
I feel.we should take all this
aforementioned information
from every hospital and pre-
sent it to the DHC and Task
Force to be analyzed. Then,
and onlythen, should the •
DHC be allowed to come up
with further options on which
we, the residents of Huron -
Perth, can make a truly
informed and educated
choice.
In closing, I plead to the
DHC and Task Force, slow
down the process. Take more
facts and figures and more
informative criteria into con-
sideration and take more time
to make that decision. Your
decision is going to affect
every person living in Huron
- Perth.
Sincerely,
Sandra Robinson, RN
RR.3 Kippen
Save hospitals or museum?
Dear Editor:
With the recent announce- -
ment that the Exeter, Clinton
and Wingham Hospitals may
close, it might be time to
seriously look at what
ratepayers of Huron County
could possibly be forced to
support in 1997.
Priorto the approval of the
1997 county budget, munici-
pal politicians should be con-
sulting with their constituents
to determine if there may be
"non essential" county facili-
ties that could close first, to
save the hospitals.
I would think that the
Huron County Museum
would he a good place to
start. The 1996 operating
budget for the museum was
over $400,000 half of that
wages.
My suggestion would be to
sell the museum artifacts and
the building. County council
could then offer financial
support that could possibly
save the hospitals.
It's your county - ask your-
self in these financially tight
times, if I had to choose
between a local hospital or a
museum, which would I ask
my municipal politician to
support.
W. Peter Fydenchuk
Huron Park
Take a back seat to no one
CONTINUED from page 4
"our" hospital and if you
have never used the hospital,
perhaps you know someone
who has and realize how for-
tunate we are in being able to
have many of our ills taken
care of without having to
leave the town.
Most all of us have been
touched in one way or anoth-
er by sickness and how reas-
suring it is to know we are
only minutes away from
help. This hospital has to take
a back seat to no one. It is
teers and service clubs who
help in keeping our hospital
in the forefront shows a car-
ing community.
In the preliminary studies
by the "health council,"
Seaforth's position looks
promising. However, do not
be complacent and think this
is a "done deal." Everyone is
fighting for their life, some
more than others. The hospi-
tal is the hub of the town, and
if we lose it or even part, it
will take the heart out of the
community.
professional and most of all, P.M. Reid
caring. The number of volun- Seaforth
Support Christmas Seals
Dear Editor:
One in five Canadians suf-
fers from some sort of breath-
ing problem. Every twenty
minutes, each day, another
Canadian diesifrom some
form of respiratory disease,
the third leading cause of
death in this country.
During this season of good-
will, Canadians have tradi-
tionally given of themselves
with donations to the
Christmas Seal Campaign to
support the work of The
Lung Association. Together
we found a cure for tubercu-
losis, once the number one
killer of Canadians. Today
we must work together to
fight all lung disease.
Donations to the Christmas
Seal Campaign are used to
support educational pro-
grams, such as the Air Force
Asthma Program and the
Lungs Are For Life School
Program, right here in Huron
and Perth Counties. The pro-
ceeds are also used to fund
vital medical research.
This year, we are struggling
to meet our financial goal but
arc optimistic that we will
reach our target because the
people of Huron and Pcrth
Counties have generously
supported this campaign for
many years. Please continue
the tradition of caring by sup-
porting the Christmas Seal
Campaign. • Remember,
Christmas Seals work year
round to give life and breath
to millions of Canadians, And
that's the most precious
Christmas gift of all.
Thank you for your sup-
port, and all the best in this
holiday season.
Yours Sincerely,
Clayton HefleY
Volunteer Chairman
The Lung Association
Huron -Perth Counties
Usborne &
Hibbert Mutual
Fire Insurance
Company
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1 •
(Established in 1876)
Provides Full Insurance
Coverage for
Farm Properties
New Applications Are Welcomed
DIRECTORS & ADJUSTORS
Larry Gardner, R.R. 2 Stab 345.2678
Morris Wilows, R.R. 2 St Pauls 393-6548
Lome Feeney
Jack Hodgert, R.R.1 Kirkton 229-6152
Joe Chatfe, R.R. 5 Mitchell 1 348-9105
Michael O'Shea. R.R. 3Granton 225-2600
AGENTS
Wayne Mayer, Exeter • 235-1915
John Moore, Dublin 345-2512
J.P. Uniac, Mitchel ' 348-9012
Head Office, Exeter 235-0350
A refund from surplus was
declared for All policy hold-
ers who qualify, are on
record and in good standing
as at December 31, 1995.
Q Ontario
1996 PROPERTY ASSESSMENT
The 1996 assessment rolls, which list the assessed value of each
property in a municipality, will be delivered to municipal clerks on
December 17, 1996.
•
Property taxes for 1997 will be based on these values.
The final date for property owners or tenants to appeal
the 1996 property assessment is
January 7, 1997.
If you have any questions about your assessment, please contact
the assessment office responsible for your municipality.
The address and telephone number are in the Government of Ontario
section of the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.
Please look under the Ministry of Finance - Property Assessment.
The assessment office will also be able to provide
you with information on appealing your assessment.
Assessment appeals are heard by an independent tribunal
called the Assessment Review Board.
There is a fee for filing an appeal.
The Board is also responsible for setting the dates for hearing
appeals. If you appealed your 1995 assessment for the
1996 taxation year and the Board has not yet set a hearing date,
you do not have to file a new appeal.