HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-10-11, Page 4Page 4 October 11, 2006 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK IWO
Don't add
to the strain
on of
emergency
r
am ` it would get worse before it got
better.
And, the current difficulties staffing emergency
departments boturban at
.small rural hospi a s `throughout Ontario is cer-
tainly a sign that the dwindlling number of doctors
and nurses is definitely feeling the strain.
Hanover and District Hospital, during the
Thanksgiving weekend, was the latest of a growing
number of hospitals threatening a weekend closure
at ' g and a lack of available
Hanover's troubles follow similar problems in two
Kitchener -Waterloo area hospitals and closer to
home at St. Marys Memorial Hospital during the
past several months.
Seaforth Community Hospital is not immune to
the strain and has been trying to find ways to ease
the burden on doctors by sharing second on-call
time with other Huron -Perth Healthcare Alliance
hospitals, like Clinton Public.
Last week, Health Minister George Smitherman
asked a committee of government officials, hospital
administrators and the Ontario Medical
Association to report in two weeks on ways that
emergency rooms can operate more efficiently and
on how to better compensate doctors.
While patients can do little to solve the continu-
ing doctor shortage and physician pay issues being
named as causes for the threatened closure of
emergency rooms, we can take a look at our behav-
iour and expectations of the healthcare system and
assess whether or not they're realistic.
Doctors, many of whom are working extra shifts
to keep emergency rooms open on the weekends,
certainly don't need to be dealing with patients
who don't really need urgent care.
While orphan patients often have little other
choice than attending the ER with a health con-
cern, the opportunity now exists to be rostered by
the Seaforth family health team.
As the healthcare crisis continues, patients must
take more responsiblity for their health.
Susan Hundertmark
1 have low expectations of my
beloved Leafs this season
Amongst the many blogs
that flooded the Toronto
Maple Leafs' website after
their opening night loss to
Ottawa last week, was
one with the headline: `It's
only one game."
I doubt similar head-
lines were found on the
websites of the opening
night losers and defending
Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes,
or Western Conference powerhouses the
Colorado Avalanche.
However, we fans of the blue and white
apparently need to be reassured that one
game doesn't represent how the rest of the
season is going to play out.
Maybe it's because we got greedy, expecting
nothing less than a late• playoff run each sea-
son.
But that was in the old NHL, when teams'
could stock up on veteran playmakers for the
post season - if they didn't already have an
expensive lineup prior to the playoffs.
But in today's NHL, with the implementa-
tion of a salary cap prior to last season, teams
are learning to be frugal and spend their
money wisely.
So, while it is still very early into the NHL
season to be making any predictions, it feels
like just the right time to express my con-
cerns with my beloved Maple Leafs.
Not once I can remember having entered a
new season with such low expectations and
little hope as I have this year.
13N' PJeff
r•
And here's why.
Even with the addition of
reliable veteran defence -
men Hal Gill and Pavel
Kubina, the Leafs' blueline
remains a blatant weak
point that opposing teams
should be able to take
advantage of again.
Last season, the Leafs'
offence ranked eighth in
the league in goals for, which is terrific, but at
the same time ranked 21st in goals allowed.
Bryan McCabe epitomized the Leafs' woes
last season, ranking third among defencemen
in scoring, while continuously criticized for
his lack of reliable defensive play.
At best, the Leafs now sport one reliable and
one average defensive line - not good enough.
Back to the offence, which was one of few
bright spots last season. -
The absence of Jason Allison, who was slow
as molasses but was also their fifth highest
point scorer last season and their 12th best
scorer Eric Lindros, has me scratching my
head.
In fact, there's five others that were among
the Leafs' top 20 scorers last season that. are
now absent.
Between the pipes is another big problem.
With the eagle having flown his nest in
Toronto, the Leafs brought in:' ex -Bruin
Andrew Raycroft.
Apparently the Leafs see something in him
that Boston didn't when they benched him
See BRIGHT, Page 6
Au contraire big brother.
By keeping expectations low
I can skew the results in
my favour. Mom will just
be relieved that I passed.
Have you ever thought
about going into politics
when you grow up?
iterrAtick
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