HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-03, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 -- Seaforth. Ontario
February 3, 1999 -- $1.00 includes GST
Medical community
seeks policy change
Ambulance left on own in snowstorm
when- plows would not give return escort. .
He can't- think of a .situation where they'
haven't been -able -to send .i snowplow to help.:
Shepherd sent letters to• the Ministry -of
Transportation to -which Gineerich .replied: -
',n ambulance left ini.�rndiin ivlthitut outlining the position that bringing the
snowplow escort hack to Seatorth during a ambulance hack is not in their mandate. -
nowstorm has prompted. a local doctor to . Shepherd also. expressed concern •to the
take action.. PITO that there was ditficulty in connecting
Dr. 'C trolin ' Shepherd s as stn that with -the right telephone numbers to arrange
ambulance as it took a patient_ in need of the escort which Cost .time, getting the patient
emergency treatment t,ram Seaforth to London. - -
:
Community Ht•ispitaf to a London -hospital Gineerich said the numbers me -listed in the .
when 'roads were- clsi ed hee,ru e of a teiephonefiook for the -basal offices. -and
snowstorm. .- • 'dispatches and that the OPP. have the number.
With some difficulty Shepherd said they He said many ambulance dispatchers atsa=
were able to .trranie a•snowptnw esciiit to ttie
� have the• number already.
site. 'He sent Shepherd the emergency number as
-"There was actually roiir n !hem that !Pt?*well as a direct line to the communication
us down in tandem: -she said. •
But the' wouldnt hnnzt them
hack, .
'The M•linistr'. .it.
Transportation woyldn"i escort
us." she said, •; -
Because Ale vas the .inialThat s probably.a board.
doctor on call .Jue to the • aware of the dectsirins or a plan the facility.
hoiidas ;he,. rhe S-.at�lrrh.type of risks would have in place.
ambulance crew and a nurse
om the hospital,needed/to' let We' 9O through' h When an emergency mall
hack- , . --Dr. Carolin dome in, he said dispatchers
They Jr Shepherd • communicate with the plows to
n closed roads..
determine locations and.
• through snowdrtitsirhat lett rhe coordinate estimated times o1
- -ambutaace o-. erheatrng with .arrival to have a sequence of
little steetln�, and braking•plows-ready to get -an ambulance from one
abihts left h� 'he :rik the' rtacned:Exeter. - location to another' .
-'•,
The sett t_+?trc.,-11 ai about ` .i m. antl•didn-t- - -•( think everyone's in this game together to.'
get,back .r )esti, it:i IIIIII1A t.Vc hours later.: save someone -s life." he said. •
Shepherd •-.i. as able 10 reach Seatorth But Shepherd and Andrew Williams, newly
piiblte works, superinte:nclent, l,)hn Forrest,appointed asa vice president of the. Huron •
who tots . a town plow to meet them a Kippen -Perth Hospital Partnership. want •a return
• and hrri thein hack- ,in whit i traditionally u , escort considered part of the emergency.
bad • ,a ,torni weather. She considers `Shepherd has brought the matter to -the local.
Forrest a her ,,r his actions• medical advisory cotnmittee which has given
Boyd Ciro .:rich. sen ices super•,sur for the its support to 'changing the, policy. Williams.
Nit:witty ,ii ' - irt-.portation s Stratton' and who continues as administrator t(ir Seaforth
London Jintnct. said the •'ill 31ways.hcip in, until one more vice president: is.appointed to
a life threatenrrtg ttuitri�n when they are able. till that role under the evolving partnership. is
"We Wes- number- ot t}hie-he
*ro-we_se bnnging-the matter -to -the -Ministry. of -Health ___
assisted with Jelnuang patients.- he said..area team.
hi the ease ,r si orttn_ .til ambulance. he
,
.alit .,nc he i er.t i eche,, .he iospltal He said ,the. MTO should have a
responsibility ,it_etting that .ambulance back.
there is no !on... 1 a i11.-tineatenialg situation. -•From itis point Of :view.: the Ministry, of
SXe'refily :Jin •, ha'e the capabilities to ` Health and Ministry of Transportation need to
' stand b' anti •s tit null the.anrhulanre• t$ read' mxdinate.this:' he said.
10 come h 1e1..- :C nt •ends said- With ambulance services being downloaded `-
While the ryatts may i,e. closed.: he said in to municipalities: he said it also could becoe
inarw cases. the;plo'tis need to be Forking on' m.a municipal issue •where the town rriav also
them to make them sate tor darer'. h a.e ,a more vested interest in the situation.
"III •.ttutrrns that erre deemed urinal: it a . While it hasn't been a problem here:'he said
road -is closed and we can eft a plow out ,a situation like what Shepherd experienced
there. we ,ettanil'' hate tried` tr make .'ery could leave other communities. that face
attempt to do that." he said. serious doctor, shortages. With their only
}ie said -the, beer beer, i 'furrther 01 .t'aitible doctor stranded in -another
situations that quality as :nkteenctes across community.
the district..';, -h .sheers ,areas clue to • He said getting this policy changed would •
Brantford and act, As tv_Walkerton. - tient it every•cutrtmunity.
BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF
Expositor Editor' 1.
centre.which can make radio contact with
individual plows as well as area
':MTO offices. • •
_ Inregards-to whether or not
'We want the: hospitals have that number
pubhhc tO be 'available to staff .% he said
411
Garth Brooks and Shania
Twain were among the
"stars" that appeared at. the
Optimist Club's Hits Tour
held Saturday night at the
Seaforth and District
Community Centres.
STEPHANIE DALE PHOTOS
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Airborne
Yards of snow hauled and anovemight freeze made excellent track conditions for the
third round of the Ontario Snowcross Championship. The .event, new to the Walton
race track this season, attracted bigger crowds and more participants for the second
round to be held at the on Sunday. Organizers hope to make this an annual
event as racers from Ontario came to race. _._ ..
LEE/DALRYMPLE PHOTOS
Notstooping to pick up poop could be costly
BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF
Expositor Editor
--S`edfofh''s-amoral control
officer will soon have the
power to issue tickets to
people who fail 'to poop and
scoop.
Robert Trick. • who
provides animal control
services to several ,area
municipalities, was at
council's Jan. 26 meeting to
present an annual report.
He reminded council that
_last year, it had expressed an
interest in applying to the
province .for the authority to
issue tickets in situation such
as failing to,clean up after a
dog pr for animals at large.
(t's just like me giving'out
a traffic ticket. said Trick. It '
just depends on how forceful
you want me to be Or how -
torcetul you want to be.-. tine for failing to poirp and
He -would rather have the . scoop is -$55.' of .which $47
ability to' issue tickets if no goes hack to the.
'other • approach '.'orks.
pretemng to tri- to :elirk out
any ptoblenis with .animal
owners before having to tine
them.
1 never figure a like soles
a problem anyway. he said,
adding it 'just makes them
ngry
In Clinton, Trick said .the
municipality. -
. Other areas 'tor tiny.
include :Xces-i' a noise (lid -
animals at large.
..- dminlstrator lack
McLachlan said he would
start -the process. '
• Norrnally it would only
take a •few months but Trick •
' • • CONTthIJEDiin Page
Deadly flu outbreaks not turning up here
BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK
U i.positor Staff
A new flu shot challenge,
promoting flu shots for
Huron County nursing home
staff, is helping to prevent an
influenza outbreak similar to
recent outbreaks in London
and Kitchener which have
resulted in close to 20
deaths.
So far, Huron County has
had only one reported case
of influenza in a Brussels
nursing home, which was
'controlled very well," says
public health inspector Laura
Farrell.
"We're really doing well
compared to other areas."
she says.
Neither the Seaforth Marior
nor Maplewood Manor have
had any cases of influenza
this year.
And, the flu shot challenge
has so far convinced 37 per
cent of nursing home staff in
Huron County to receive the
vaccination. The health unit
is aiming to meet a
provincial recommendation
of 70 per cent .
"We have one nursing
home in the county that is
complying with the 70 per
cent," says Farrell. "When
you're trying to change
attitudes, it takes a while and
this is the first year for the
challenge."
She says the recent deaths
from influenza at nursing
homes in London and
Kitchener are causing people
to take the issue more
seriously.
"The flu virus is airborne
and we're never going to
keep it out of nursing homes
completely but the more staff
is vaccinated, the more of a
block there is to residents."
says Farrell.
Flu shots are covered by
OHiP for anyone over 65
and anyone working with
seniors and those with
chronic illness. Flu season
extends from November to
April and shots are still
available through the health
CONTINUO on Page 3