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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-02-12, Page 5Your Views Letters to the editor' Open letter to Mr. Bell,:. DHC How did Goderich's hospital go from_ being a secondary hospital in the three options released... Dear Mr. Bell; i would like to express the anger i felt upon read- ing. the lastest restructuring plan of the DHC's task force. The task force sold out; and Huron County, in particular, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, • loses again.. • - How did AM & GH -go from being a secondary ' hospital in the -three options released Noveritber 22, 1996 to becoming a community hospital with 19,. fewer beds:'• 1 understand that the initial options were by no means final recommendations. Howev- er, in the release of that date, the task force stated'in their- so called "Anchor Assumptions" and "Key Themes" Irani consultation with the program plan- ning task force:. that Huron and Perth counties -will each -have a secondary hospital with a minimum of 60 to 80. -acute care .beds. Apparently the public • should not put too much trust in anything'thc DHC , and their task force -has to_ say.. .. • The original options seemedwell researched and fairly represented both counties. This so-called fourth' option, is nothing more •than a knee-jerk re- ., sponse to the emotional outcries of the communities - that stood to lose the most. Somewhere along the. • . line common sense should prevail. Several ques- tions come to mind: I. How fiscally responsible is it to keep 14 -bed hospitals open? -Buildings still have to be main- tained and staffed. 2. Why is it that Perth County, with 69,000 people gets a- total of 247 beds. and Huron Countywith a population of 59,000 suffers a loss of 124 beds, be- ing Icfi with a total of 159 beds? I am_ not a 'math. whiz hut even I .know this ratio does not make sense. ` 3. Does not the fourth option serve to, in fact, erode the level of care which is presently provided in.Goderich and in Huron County?. 4. Why would specialists locate in Huron County, ie. Internal Medicine,.: Surgery, knowing that the hospitals cannot provide the facilities which their particular expertise provide? • 5. Finally, why consider this option when it is ad- mittedly only saving. approximately 1-3 percent and the savings target set by the task force was 2Q per cent? _ - The whole thing is a_travcsty and the DHC would he wise not to simply rubber stamp this option. What is lost shall never he regained.. Susan Drennan, Reg. N., Emergency Department Alexandra Marine and General Hopsital • Goderic.h Letter to john Snobelen` I do- not understand how in good conscience you can dismantle a = system.„.. Dear Editor: . " During_ the past week the teachers at South Huron district High school have been 'faxing and phoning the Minister of Education. him Snobelen. By doing so we hope that -he will realize how cuts to educa firm will •el'tect.our students, their future and the province as a whole. Attached is just•one of the let- - ters :hat was sent. We can only pray that our voices - will he heard and that the PC.party will put the dem • - • ocratie power of this province hack into the hands of.its citizens.. - _Sonja Brittain. Teacher • S.H.D.H.S. John Snobelen Minister of Education' - February .6, 1997 . - lani writing to you today to voice my incredible . concern about yout government's. reforms and cuts • in education. • As a teacher in the -public education system I am deeply insulted by your media -created "crisis". I do not understand how in good conscience you can dis- mantle a.system which has proven to work not only -locally but also internationally. The Ontario educa- : tion system has repeatedly. graduated . intelligent. creative and innovative thinkers. One need only ' look around them- to see- hundreds .of thousands of educated pitiless/minis who -help to make this coun- •try•great. I myself -have -.only just recently graduated from university • and entered the workforce. My courses of study and supportive teachers more than amply prepared me for this endeavour. Does this sound like a system in shambles? In the fall the Dur- ham Board of Education won an international award tor -excellence in education. That board -is not very different than all others in Ontario, therefore prov- ing that ALL Ontario school hoards aretop notch even when compared internationally. I am the first to admit that the present :system is not perfect and that there is always room for im- provement. However, your suggested reforms arc too drastic and far too short-sighted. I feel they will only lead to a decrease in quality, overworked teach- . -. a reducirun in important programs such as the Arts and an overall low morale in schools. Our chil- dren's futures deserve more money and time to be devoted, to them. Their education cannot• simply be . run like a business. You are dealing with real pea - pie. not just with dollar signs Mr. Snobelen. Your decisions will effect children. their dreams and their right to make a meaningful contribution to their • community's future. _ Therefore. in conclusion, I ask you to. seriously: consider the repercussions of your decisions. Please, work with teachers. We have ideas and are the ones who work with the children everyday and know their needs. Together we can make TRUE reforms. not just compromises. Sonja linuatn Visual Arts Teacher South Huron District High School Hospital restructuring "... it is essential that- the (-furor Perth hospital system be in a position to address this funding challenge. Bear EJitor: I .un M. riling or behalf of the Huron Perth Hospi'- sal and Related Health Service§ Study Task Force to address some of the concerns and questions that we have received regarding the Task Force's preferred option for hospital restructuring. ' The preferred option is a first step to creating a ' hospital system in Huron Perth that will be•respon- sive to future challenges.. in addition. the preferred option addresses the priorities identified through the - Task Force consultation process. Issues such as keeping physicians within communities. keeping hospitals open, providing immediate access to emer- gencyservices and consolidating administration and governance were heard and addressed by the Task Force. In general we have received support for the pre- ferred option. However some concerns have been raised regarding the bed distribution, the creation of a single board and the time fame that the Task Force has recommended for the consolidation of adminis- tration. • • . With respect to the specific bed numbers identi- fied by the Task Force. it is important to note that these numbers arc not set in•stone. The essence of the hospitals' proposal has not been changed by the Task Force. The distribution of programs and ser- vices remains the same as that of the hospitals' pro posal. The bed numbers identified by the Task • • Force were determined based on the programs end services that are to be provided in each community. the current use of services. population characteris- tics of the communities, and the existing strengths of the eight hospitals. However. once a system has been created, system -wide clinical programming will take place with input from medical staff in'both Huron and Pcrth counties. if there is a clinical rea- son why the bed numbers need to shift, this will happen through that process. The Task Force is recommending that a single senior management team be in place by September 1997 to address the clinical and operaticinal issues of a single hospital system.The Task Force recog- nizes that a single interim hospital governance coni - mince with delegated responsibility needs to be struck to proceed with the hiring of the Chief Execu tive Officer (CEO) for the system. It will'he impor- tant tri develop a governance structure that can man- age hospital services itrHuroh Perth as a true • system, while recognizing the need of all commu- nities. There are many ways that this can be achieved. As -proposed by'the hospitals, the Task Force willwork collaboratively with the current hospital boards to identify the appropriate govern- ance structure for the Huron Perth hospital System.. As the Ministry of Health will he withdrawing sig- nificant funding from hospitals over the next two years. it is essential that the Huron Perth hospital system be in a position to address this funding chal- lenge. Cost savings can be found id three ways - by reducing administration and support service costs, ' reducing dollars spent op direct patient care or re- ducing costs of operating buildings. in recognition of each community's commitment to maintain local access to.servjces, cost savings from restructuring can only come through administrative and support service cuts, and savings in direct patient care. It is essential that the hospitals move quickly to create a single system so that administrative and support ser- vice savings can be achieved in the short-term and cuts to patient cure minimised. The Health Services Restructuring Cornmission has indicated that they will have plans developed for all hospitals within"the province by the fall of 1997. Movement toward a single system will demonstrate our communities' commitment to creating a unique rural health tare system that meets the needs of Hu- ron Perth residents in an effective and cost-efficient manner. in order to retain all eight hospitals, the Task Force believes that we must move forward quickly to create a single system before the Com- mission reviews the Huron Penh situation. The Task Force extends their appreciation to the hospitals for their commitment to work together to create a Hu- ron Perth hospital system. Sincerely, Janet Hook, Chair, Hospital and Related Health Services Study Task Force w Times-Aduoeate, February 14, 1997 . Pages Doing a fine job "...I expect' Most nurses every where.generally put their patients first..." Dear Editor: . . Recently I had occasion to stay overnight in . • Godetjch. i bought the local paper for something to• read and noticed a '•'Letter to the Editor:: concerning nurses: The writer was extolling the virtues of the nurses at theAM&GH and.1 thought they're not so • unusual, we have the hest nurses at.SHH. In my ex- perience, 'our' nurses have always provided an ex-., ' cellent service with plenty of TLC. When it comes down to it. 1 ezpect.nu►st nurses everywhere genet-: ally•put their patients first and do a wonderful joh.•It strikes me that some modern day -doctors could • learn a lot from them: Yams sincerely, • John Sanderson Re -financing the public debt We must again monetize our debt using our own constitution '44 and Bank of Canada as we did in 1939 -with great success." Dear Editor: I gasp to acknowledge another imminent Federal ` election. Debt and joblessness grow together yet no ' • strong alternative parties are emerging to challenge the status quo. Canadians face planned high unem- ployment policies and escalating debts in spite of government downsizing and major service cuts. WC'Il soon have an inferior skeletal civil service to administer our governments in very demanding times. Politicians like Mr. Martin plod on with job destroying deficit -cutting, rather thanexamine real . workable solutions for Canadians. Joh creation must dominate policy making to create new fax revenue. Our society already under- - stands -the private sector cannot alone raise the reve- noes that -public administration now devours. Federal spending on national defense, civil ser- vants' pay, day -today government administration, plus all .social services cannot bre trimmed enough to even come close to a balanced budget anymore. it would.be absurd to expect such. This leaves our biggest government savings to he realized by refinancing our national debt at two per_ cent or less through our own Bank:of Canada. Car -- tying costs on $650 billion, simply demand mone- tizing or re -financing now to curtail spiraling costs. Without re -financing, our annual interest on the debt by 2001, will be equal or greater than the total all of our citizens pay in personal income taxes each. year ($1 trillion debt of Federal plus Provincial to- gether). We must again monetize our debt using our own constitution and Bank -of Canada as we did in 1939 with great success. Billions in interest will he saved each year as we gradually. restore democratic con- • trol of our nation's monetary system and one -Bank of Canada that is presently influenced by stock/ bond dealers and speculators (all unelected). Mass layoffs to control inflation have grossly de- stabilized Canada and we must never allow it to happen again. Our Bank of Canada's prime function must_again be creation of jobs and a stabilized sove- reign economy with reasonable interest rates. in "Reclaiming Canada's Sovercignity" June 1996, by Mr. Jack Biddell CA, (past CEO tot Hornier .Clarkson Gordon) Many.propotials ol••his reinforce • the monetary changes needed now to phase out deli- cit financing..and rc-new hope lorCanadians. - 1. No more -private sector horrowing-by govern- •- mens: . ' ' . - 2: All newly funded Provincial debt should he through Bank of Canada at two percent or less: . - 3. Include school boards. municipalities and pub= lic utilities like Ontario Hydro for cheaper pians. Highinterest rates stifle real growth and jobs by acting like an extra'hidden indirect lax on -ordinary people. thus arc inflationary. interest costs on gov- ernment debt must bereduccd and this lieconnes.'.w tar the higgest saving for our governments. So 1 a -ds what are the Liberals waiting for when votes and ih . common good arc at stake? - From 1980-95, Federal borrowing saddled Cana- dians with 5438 billion of new debt:while we sof- • ' fered through two•senous recessions•largely caused from within.' • If this juggernaut of Federal debt at high rates is not re -financed at twto percent or less through our - own. Bank of Canada. it will spiral into•an unpaya- ble mountain thanks to compound•interest.Can we wait and still offerour children the greatest.sove- reign nation on' earth? • . Here arc some direct questions for your M.P. he - tore he has a right to your vote this 1:11I. . Should the Bank of Canada tight inflation by putting Canadians out Of work" 2. Why -are governments still borrowing from pri- vate hanks at high interest rates when constitutional- ly they can borrow from our own Bank of Canada? (1/2 of one percent real cost) 3. Why -rely on foreign capital lar government loans? (especially with high unemployment at , -home). • Patriotically. David Hern P.S. A stable caring society trust care more ahoutr creating new wealth for. those without it. not adding more wealth to those who already have it. Today's policies attack and blame the poor while the rich would have us believe the reason we're not doing better is that the rich don't have enough yet. Gov- ernments must lead again. . -• . - Who pays the piper?. "...municipalities are being given the privilege of paying their own - 'welfare bills which are less predictable and controllable than education costs." Dear Editor: Over a lifetime. and a long one. the writer cannot recall a time as extended and intense when the whole body of public education was brought to the chopping Klock to he drawn andquarteredi to be re- created by implants and transplants into.aew form.. In recent weeks several appendages of the body ed- ucational have drawn the attention of the media and the public. but the writer will confine his remarks to three in particular with no presumption of offering suggestions for treatment but rather with the idea of providing some related background information which would seem to show that the direction of at- tack and remedy in any case is not as pew -blown as might be thought. Perhaps the major plank in the new proposed edu• - cational platform is the take-over and control of all cdttcational spending by central ministry. Fifty years ago we heard and•discussed at conferences. papers on the advisability and inevitability of a gradual development in the direction of ultimate full funding of public education by the provinces. The proponents were looked upon as dreamers but the • blowing examples of such state funding as in Aus- tralia and New Zealand were presented as viable • and worthy of our study and emulation. A corollary of the system would be the reduction in numbers of. • the cost of administration by trustees and adminis- trators in local municipalities. in any change of mo- dus operandi, losses must be equated with gains and weighed. in this case the municipalities are being given the privilege of paying their own welfare hills which are less predictable and controllable than ed- ucation costs. The extent to which the province supervised and directed education in decades now removed is not known generally. Until perhaps 30 plus years ago, every public school, elementary, secondary and R.C. separate, in the province was inspected semi- annually by a resident or visiting official of the pro- vincial ministry of education. The writer was one of such inspectors for ten years andour responsibilities included continuing evaluation,otthe quality of in- struction as well -as of the accounting of the hoards of trustees with respect to the handling of public funds. The inspector calculated the bases on which • government grants were to be p:lid and county and- _ localschoot levies lixed vear.by year. This new '98 version of central office control would appear,t<► he • more authoritarian but: 1 should hope. also benevo- lent. in any -situation we would i!a well to remember the.oldsaying which reminds us that kvhoevcr pays the piper calls the tune. - ' Another educational cramp that has been battered about on recent radio phone-in shows•is.•the irnrni nonce of uniform province -wide testing of -pupils at separated grade levels as a means of rating the effi- ciency of schi of programs in various parts and mu- nicipalities of Ontario. This again is not new. Until .the laic 4Q's pupils of'Grade 8 had to pass uniform High School Entrance examinations in basic skills and useful required interest areas. Twenty years ear- lier all pupils of Grades 4 to 7 had to pass uniform county examinations to assure promotion. in the .1938-48 decade as a county inspector 1 was required to administer group and some individual perfor- mance tests at specific grade levels and cmhracing certain skills and mastery of content. Results were publicized on local and province -wide bases. While • such•tests made no allowances for differing regional or ethnic backgrounds. they were helpful to leachers and administrators in self measurement of their pro- grams. • • A third question that raised a !mail -response and split evenly between the "Yeses" and "Nos".was this: "Should teachers he allowed toga on strike? The writer is unaware of any organized teachers' strikes in Ontario prior to the'70's. He is of•a divid- ed mind on the question,•feeling that teachers should not go on strike hut should not be denied the right to do so when negotiation or arbitration have faifed to break an inlpasse which concerns potentiais•for - good or bad forall, especially the pupils. Stressful situations and circumstances arise in all vocations at times, but my experience during years of supervis- ing and training teachers have confirmed my faith in their generally high degree of dedication to duty first, relegating self interest to a.placc of secondary importance. . Gerry Dobrindt