HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-07-08, Page 57' •
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Tines -Advocate, Jat y 8, 1998 • Page 5
COMMUnitYs
res concerns
about
semces
Doctors step in. to ill time slots
"...it is extremely important that
we all work together as a team..."
Dear Editor:
The nursing staff of South Huron Hospital would
like to take this opportunity to thank those doctors,
both local and out-of-town, who stepped in and
worked long and busy hours in the emergency
department to avoid further closures over the past
week. Those who gave up their personal time were
Doctors Peter Englert, Ming Lam, Wm. Steciuk
from our area, and K. Woolnaugh'and Tom
McDonaugh from Stratford' and London. We also
wish to say a special thank you to Dr. Caroline
Meyer. of London who very efficientfy covers the .
emergency on numerous weekends and has now
expressed an interest in doing 24 hour coverage on- •
week days as well.
During these very stressful times, of restructuring. -
.downsizing, and economic pressures, itis extremely
important that we all work together as 'item with
the health of the Community as the core issue. We -
must continue to work to keep $outh Huron Hospital
open and functioning at all times. -
Respectfully, South Huron Hospital nursing staff,
A Day in - the Life ofa Rural Doctor
"Who wants to work in a hostile
environment"
Dear Editor: -
After readinglast' week's Exeter TA one would
think that our local doctors are lazy inconsiderate
physicians who don't care about our hospital and
don't want to keep it open. How dare they not work
the emergency room and cover every shift! Who do
gase.,,they think they .are! "Is this some type of political
stand by the doctors" says the Hospital Board Chair-
- Well let me tell you about a day ,in the life of a ru-
ral doctor.
7:30 A.M. ;phone calls to London specialists for
consults
8:00 A.M. -see patients in the efiergericy. who
\vant to get to work .on time -hospital rounds . • ,
9-12 A.M. -office, seeing patients
12-1 P.M. -more patients in emergency • •
1-5 P.M. -office, more patients
5-6 P.M. -Emergency, more patients, pick up lab
results
6-7 P.M. -Exeter Villa and house calls -
7-8P.M- Phone calls to patients
Saturday 8--1 Exeter Villa, • Emergency, .paper=
work, get caught up from the week •
Sunday 12-3 paperwork, Exeter Villa, study time
For 22 years- my husband has taken call and
worked the Emergency, often every weekend, look-
ing after this community. He was young and didn't
mind working day and night. Sixty to seventy hour
weekshave been common in our house for many
years plus taking call on topof this. Remember
when we were all young and keen and ready to take
on the world. No mountain was too high! Perhaps
we could say a word of thanks instead of -condemn-
ing our doctors. No they are not trying to sabotage
the hospital by not working. Our local doctors are
aging (over 50) and can't- put in the hours they, use
to. No young keen doctors seem to be here to fill the
void. r .
The hospital board states that only 3 of 93 shifts
this month are being filled. IV; local•doctors-and 60
are being covered by out of town doctors. Does the
Board not realize that most of those shifts were al=
ready being covered.by our local doctors and these
shifts were ones that were taken away from them by
the hospital administrator::Why didn't the hospital
try to fill the uncovered shifts instead!
We have a doctor 'shortage -. The doctors have
been telling the hospital for years that a crisis was
looming.. We -need to address this problem. A few
aging doctors covering the emergency this weekend
'is only a. band-aid solution until the next time. It
doesn't bring in new youngdoctors to fill the void.
.What can we do? •
First, let's not throw stones! Who wants to work in
A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT! Let's,build a medi-
cal clinic to try and attract some new youngdoctors.
People don't set up solo practices any more; it's a
thing of the past. We need to actively .and aggres-
sivelytry to recruit young doctors. Many towns are
offering huge incentive packages and arecompeting
with each other for doctor's services. Committees
will have to be formed to attend job fares at medical
schools to try and recruit for Exeter. Videos of. our.
lovely town -and hospital -should be sent to all the
medical schools and major hospitals to let doctors
see small town 'living •at it'.s _best. Let's. get into the
marketing game and -sell our town! .Let's work with
other hospitals in Huron County and perhaps oper-
- ate an emergency room on a rotating -basis. •
-
Let's 'get the government to change the licensing
procedures so residents can come - back and work
weekends again! They took away their general li-
. cense so they can no longer_do general practice.
Let's •make :our town and hospital a place where
someone would want to come. Let's keep the doc-
tors we already have.•If they feel unwanted what's to
keep them here? •Maybe they could all rally and ti y
-. to pick up an extra shift but it still doesn't solve the
• problem. It only -uses up another band-aid on a fes-
tering sore until the next shutdown.
Condemning our -existing doctors, trying to,shame
them:into covering every -shift because it's their civ-
ic duty to 'the ;community is not the answer.- When
you've already worked a 60 hour week plus worked
a night you've felt like you have done your civic
duty. 1 would like to see my husband at home help-
ing pry kids with their homework or coaching their
sport's teams but he can't, he's too busy looking after
the health needs 'of this community., -
'We all care about keeping the hospital open but it
.may have to take another form until the 'doctor
shortage problem is. solved. - Let's work- together !
-Name- calling is a child's game!
A Doctor's Wife
Sharon Steciek
•
Everyone else is much easier to replace
'"We rhust move towards joint
solutions in consultation with the,
local physicians in order to attract
new- man -power and assist the ex-
isting physicians in maintaining 'a
healthy lifestyle."
Dear Editor,
Having read the recent account of the hospital
board meeting concerning theemergency roam clos-
ings, I feel compelledto write. 1 am appalled at the
personal attacks on the local physicians as quoted in
the paper. After eighteen years of personal and pro-
fessional dealings with our local physicians, I know
them to be a dedicated, caring and hard working
group. It appears that there exists a terrible working
relationship between the physicians and the board
and administration of the hospital. Solutions can not
be found in such an atmosphere of finger pointing
and name Collins. Communities such as Seaford!
and Clinton have managed to forge workable situii-
tions and it seems unthinkable that Exeter is incapa-
ble of doing the same. - • .
We must'move towards joint solutions in'consul=
Cation with the local 'physicians in order to attract
new man -power and assist the existing physicians in' • -
'maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This may involve a
commitment to a community health centre like Sea-
forth's clinic and the implementation of other inno-
vative ideas. The alternative is to further alienate
our local physicians and possibly, be left with nosh-
ing but an empty hospital with nicely decorated ex-
ecutive offices: I for` one 'feel that the doctors are the
e
pensable individuals in this dispute; everyone
else is much easier to replace.
Bill McGregor
Compromise needed to save school sports
or Continued frompage 4
announces cutbacks so deep that
the public sector unions cry bloody
murder and threaten to strike or
some other job action. The prov-
ince lets the unions spread their
rhetoric while they respond with
their own.
The beauty of the province's
strategy is they let the situation go
right down the chipper till the
breaking point, then they offer a
'carrot' — a singlet concession or a
set of them that makes the public
sector and the population at large
go, `Whew, that wasn't as bad as
we thought it would be. •
Everyone thanks their lucky stars
for a more positive 'outcome than
they thought would roll out while
the Hams Tories got exactly what
they aimed for.
If the province shifted their tech-
nique from an arrogant 'we always
know better, this is the way it has
to 'be' hard line to a softer ap-
proach, teachers and other public
servants- may be more inclined to
listen.
I propose a personality make over
for. the provincial government. In-
stead of the whip, how about a ca-
ress? Instead of forcing a confron-
tation, the province -Could say
something to the effect of: 'We
know you're working hard toward
the betterment of society through
teaching, and yes, you've already
dealt with doing more with less.
`But we need to find an addition-
al S(put dollar figure here) across
the board to balance the books so
we all can experience a better, debt
and deficit free future.
`Please go back to the chalkboard
and find some areas you can either
chop some fat or become even
more efficient. Everyone, including
your government, must do their
part.
`Let's work together to make
things grand for our children and
grandchildren'.
• No matter the ifs and buts and
what should' bes, our educational
system, as well as other public in-
stitutions in Ontario will forever be
changed by the Harrisgovernmerlt.
Many of the changes are positive,
but the way they are being institut-
ed is (wavy handed and even cal-
lous. -
Teachers, their unions and the
government, as well as the rest of
the public and the private sector.
should look to each other for help.
If we are all -good citizens, a com-
promise will be reached that will
achieve the government's goals in
education and other public sectors.
People want to help. Parents want
to volunteer. More partnerships be-
tween the public and private sectors
could go a long way to not only
preserving school sports, music and
art programs and a multitude of
other soft services, it could better
them. -
It's time for all players to swal-
low that pride, soften that hard
stance and compromise.
Let's recognize we have a cr4sis!.
"People, being .what they are, do
not get terribly excited about
issues until they are directly
and adversely affected"
. Dear Editor:
Probably most letters to 'the Editor aim to vent
rather than inform, and, of.. course, we the readers -
are either amused or aroused by (and most of the
time, indifferent to) what is printed. This letter will,
'no doubt, contribute to that observation, but I would
-like;thoughtful people to Lead and think about, what
this letter has to say. . - -
' At the start, l am:tempted to suggest that this com-
munity (all of the.TA reading area),owes the District
_ Health Council's Task Force a sincere apology for
its treatment of its members when -they visited Exet-
er last year, and I, as one of the leaders of the -fight
against the Task Force's proposal •,for drastically
down -sizing South Huron -Hospital, think I should
be embarrassed for the position we took and: the ar-
rogance we demonstrated in even suggesting that we
knew this community -better than they. After all, we
proclaimed that WE could create a local solution
,that would keep the hospital open and reduce costs.
What has happened? The hospital did 'close'. I, for
one, have never heard of a hospital having to close
temporarily, and for part of the May 24th week -end
- the busiest time of the year for a resort area in
southern Ontario to boot!! (Helen, instead of giving
the hospital a grant, save some money and close the
thing.) - - -
- What do we do?First of all, as Canadians let's as-
sign blame. Let's. go for the doctors (whom we all
=know are overpaid and underworked). They have
taken much out of the community; and -they owe us.
Remember how they threatened us a couple of years
ago until they got that astronomical sum for being •
'on-call' (you know, sleeping and getting paid for it).
Let's' blame the hospital board. They are a weak-
kneed bunch:of people who have no idea what's go-
ing on and simply follow, the directions a the Ad-
ministrator. While we're at it let's blame the Admin-
.: istrator. He's another bureaucrat - whom- the doctors
-cannot abide; he's probably the source of the con-
-flict between the board and the doctors in the first
place. Let's blame the Government; everybody else
docs. • - - -
In fact, if we want towallow in this sty, I could
blame all of us who are short-sighted, unthinking or.
even petty. Five years. ago, Reeve Bill Mickle and I
approached the hospital with our concern that the
future did not look good for South Huron Hospital
and that we, as a Town Council, would be prepared
•
•
to help in re:designing an appropriate function for
health services in the area. If the offer, were taken to
the board, it fell on deaf ears. (To be fair, perhaps
we were premature in (ilia- sta.ia, but hind-sighttis .
perfect:) -During the last election campaign, 1
stressed the need for creating a clinic in Exeter as
oitr doctors were nearing the twilight years of their
careers.
My family and..l have been very/onunate- is see-
ing that our medical needs have jwn met. Over the
years, Mike Gans was• territicMt coming to -the
house when my mother was- ill and rushing to the
hospital when sow David was hit -by a -car. Bill Ste- -
ciuk has to be one of the most caring 'professionals'
I have ever met. Personally, Linda Steele, several ,
times, -and Dave Hodder,_once, treated me at very
critical moments. The hospital staff have Ijeen ex- ,
ceptional in their_:care, thoughtfulness and humour. 1
expect that our medical needs will continue to be -
met by -these folks; however I. know that many of
you may -have had very different- experiencei-:and
..
you are not as optimistic as 1. ,
But where do we go from here?
-' People, being what they are, do not•get terribly ;ex- - -
cited about issues until they are directly and ad-
'versely .affected. Well' folks, you are now directly
and adversely affected! • _
- The point is, we do have valuable -resources; now
how can we best use them? i will suggest again, that
the community (now that's a tough one!) look at the
function of the hospital as it should operate in the
next'century.
It cannot remain as it is now!! The Government
would be foolish to throw more •moneyat us to
maintain the status quo. Let's look at a clinic, based
at the --hospital which willprovide emergency ser-
vice, routine out-patient care, physiotherapy, blood
analysis and most of all, offices for doctors. It costs
a- great deal to set up an office and -establish a -prac-
tice, and ready-made office space cduld be a great -
incentive for attracting new doctors. We could make
good use of the 'bricks and mortar' by -housing all
these functions and, probably more in a building that
• has ceased to be meaningful to `us and a source_ of-
ridicule
fridicule to others, -
- It really is time to recognize that all of us who .
care about our community have to become involved
in a major way with the.decision-making process; -.
and the local 'committees, boards -and councils must
-. realize --that we have a crisis; they have to make
changes in tiie way they conduct, business in their.
planning for tomorrow.
Yours truly,
• Bruce Shaw
Why is there such -a predicament?
"Why did some of these people
choose that profession?:
Dear Editor,- -
' , I write as a copcerned citizen concerning our hos-
pital medical coverage or lack thereof.- ' - -
Wtiy is there such a predicament now? 1 don't
think it happened overnight! . --
The doctors complained about being overworked.
- Some of the doctors 'are only willing to see patients .
between 9 a.m. and'.5' p.m. This excludes Wednes-
days and Fridays (in some cases).
When are people to see their doctor if they only
have three days of the week when they can attempt
to get an appointment? , . -
- Have you ever tried to be treated at the emergepcy
in the evening? It can be two hours before the doc-
tor even -arrives.-
What's the doc(or, doing if he's "on call" - watch,
ing TV, playing on the Internet, cutting the grass or
•practicing his golf swing? . 1
• In London, we've all. waited four to five hours -to
see a doctor but you can see the doctor is visibly
working and is in the department.
I don't -understand long waits when the doctor is
off tending to his own needs while being paid gener-
ously by being on call. - ' -
It's rumoured that our doctors want more money
' to be on call, 'more than the $70 per hour they are
presently receiving. Why not, if they were at the
hospital and actually earning it. If they received
over.$100 per hour would we see a staffing prob-
.•lem? I bet not. -
I realize that education is worth a decent dollar •
value but Fd expect professionalism and to be treat=
ed with respect. We all have demanding jobs.
' After long office. or ER: waits,] wish the doctors
would convey they're there to do what is best for`us
and not rush away. So often 1 hear it is 'nurses who
provide the actual hands-on care.
if we can't equip our hospital now, we won't need
n'e. doctors - we won't have a hospital._
To the late Dr. Goddard, he was truly a credit, to
his profession. Although late evening office hours
and Midnight house calls are - unrealistic today, his
priority was the patient.-
Some
atient.Some of today's physicians don't see. weekends
OR a 40 hour work week as part of their profession.
My apologies to those doctors that do.
In a community that is only a step away from los-
ing its entire hospital, why did some of these people
choose, that profession.
After hearing our hospital would have doctors this
weekend, I called in to find that Drs. Engler], Lam
and Steciuk rallied to keep our hospital open on this
weekend. if there was anyone•else, thank you. •
, There is still hope:. - - - - -
Editor's note: The author of this litter is known to
the T.A. The name is being withheld because ofa
, close connection to the health care field in the South
- - Huron area. -
Happy Birthday Canada!
Happy to be Canadlan.-These Lucan young men, know how to show off their pride to be Ca-
nadian during Canada Day festivities in their hometown. From left: Adam Froats, Bryce Bum -
stead, Mike Jacques, Scott Thompson, Ben Mcfalls and Brad Funston. '