HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-02-26, Page 1..4
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health minister says ctosin,2,000
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• will save abouf $801J, . '.
0
Ontario .Health Minister Frank Miller about. $350,000 being used to treat the
came to town last Thursday morning ' patients elsewhere.
and told officials of Clinton Public Mr. Miller and his two assistants met
' ' Hospital that they must close down their with the five 'member board first, then
62 -bed hospital as soon after April 1 as toured the hospital, and then returned to
possible, the board of governors room, where he
It was the tenth and last hospital that told a group of 25 governors, nurses.
Mr. `Miller said he was closing down to hospital - auxiliary members; ' Clinton
save some of the provinces 3.4 billion council Members and several members
health care budget. of the press that the hospital would be
About 150 persons picketed in front of ' closed. ,
the hospital when the health minister, . Mr. Miller said the/main reasons he
arrived at 9:45 a.m. and two hours later was closing the hospital was to save the
when he left, he was lustily booed, with $800,060, because it could. find no fault
several members of the crowd hurling, ' with the hospital itself. ..
;snowballs and eggs at his car.. He said'he had promised to save $50
The 'Clinton Pudic" Hospital wasthe million out of a total health budget of
tenth and final. hospital that Mr. Miller 53.4 -billion by eliminating about 5,000
said he was closing, and he claimed his hospital beds -
.ministry would save 5800,000 of the He. saidthe hospital board had ten
$1,150,000 that it would cost to run the,days to conic up with some alternatives,
hospital last year, with the balance: `but said "closing a total of 60 beds in the
`.
I ', other (Huron) hospitals weuld only save
P led''willIA to one-third of the $800.000."`
"Your challenge is to give me some
'alternatives,► � r said.
Mr. Mille
• 0 c
I.He• said the only good reason he had for
Vi$0 i 1". closing Clinton was its geographic
tecation, with both the Seaforth and
Goderich hospitals nearby to take up the
patient load.
"This hospital wasn't chosen because
it's a� bad hospital, it was chosen- on a
geographic basis,'' Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Miller left the hospital after two
hours and no date has yet been an-
nounced when Mr. Miller, Premier
William Davis, and Clinton represen-
tatives will meet. The ten-day period
expires next Monday.
New Democratic leader Stephen
Lewis will be back to Huron County
tomorrow on what is believed to be
another fact finding mission on the
hospital closings in Clinton and
Goderieh:a
Mr. Using -Will meet with the Clinton
Hospital board in Clinton at four o'clock
Friday afternoon and discuss the public
hospital closing with the board and
concerned citizens. The meeting will be
in the Clinton hospital.
The opposition leader intends to make
a return trip to Goderich on Friday and
will meet with members of the Con-
cerned Citizens Committee and the
'Huron Medical Society in the CCC office
at the Suncoast Malt. That encounter is
set for about half past five Friday a.f'
tern',uot• feelings.
Mr. Lewis is gathering
opinions and facts on the closure of the
Clinton Hospital and the Goderinh
Psychiatric Hospital. He has promised
fi.-• its in the communities that he will
take tae provincf i ,,government and
health minister Frank' Miller to task on
the, closings when the Ontario legislature
resumes in March.
Bad news
Ontario Health Minister Frank Miller, standing, tells a gloomy Clinton Public
Hospital board of governors last Thursday, that they must close their hospital
in April to cut government spending. A massive, protest has-been launched and
Mr. Miler said he will meet a delegation next week before he makes his
decision final. (News -Record photo)
Board budgets for repairs
By Wilma Oke Catholic separate school board approved
In order that priority maintenance giving to the building committee an
work such as painting and repairs can be advance of 515,000 of the anticipated
carried out during the spring scho.-t budget for 1976 at a meeting in Dublin
break. the HHurot -Perth County Rooms .;,,,,, Monday night,.
Editorial comment
T4e must fight back
By aim Fitzgerald
The past week has been a dismal w.eck
for many of our readers. and yours truly
is no exception. The news that Frank
Miller is trying to close our beloved
Clinton hospital cut deep into the heart of
many of us. It was very encouraging to
-•—see such overwhelming attendance at
fhte meeting last Tuesday night to fight
the decree. If you would tike to help, with
both your pen and. Just as important.
your pocketbook. call the Clinton Con-
cerned Citizen's centre at the old Police
office at 482.78i2. They need all the -help
they can get.
+++
There are going to be some long line-
ups atthe license bureau this weekend
for all those who forgot to renew their
license plate stickers. The deadline is
this Saturday, and Mrs. Lloyd Butler
reports that only 33 percent of Clinton
and area motorists have purchased their
renewals. Mrs. Butler says t fors she many
penn
Saturday. so the long
begins at 9 a.rn..,
+++
The Colts are out of it. dropping three
important games last week, and will
hang their skates up for another year.
But the Mustangs are still very much
alive and will be having a stag this
Friday night tq raise much needed
funds. Contrary to popular believe, the
Junior "C" club is completely self -
financed and does not get any subsidy
from the taxpayer. so community
support is needed+ + .
•
- The Kinsmen Snowmobile races,
which were 'cancelled .last Sunday
because of the mild weather. have not
been rescheduled. t1 and
will
lwea see the
be
next year.
races again. Bad luck. boys-. .
+++
The News -Record is starting a new
feature this week called "What the other
papers say." It's a quick glance through
the other ns find�out apers in -what to other
our readers
Huronites read.
facat at
a canary party, our beloved
hteatth\ Minister Frank Miller
came into Clinton last Thum
sday and ordered our hospital
closed.
No reasons. No listening to
reason. Just ordered it closed.
Just Tike that, we in Clinton
This sham perpetrated upon
us pl aces the very Dyes
good many of, us in jeopardy,
and it must be stopped.
There has been a great deal
of pride and sweat put into our
hospital since it was founded 70
years ago. Community spirit
and dedication by the people of
have become a sacrificial lamb this area made it possible and
at Premier Davis' altar. We kept it running. Thousands of
are the offering to the great dollars
donations,
f volunteer
political gods, so he can become thousands of hours o
time went into the Clinton
Hospital. It has been nearly
entirely built and equipped by
local efforts, so we should not
easily give it up.
Mr Miller's decree will not
Only mean the loss of the heart
of our community, but will also
hit us hard in the pocketbgok .
Because Clinton and the
immediate area has few in
dustries, the loss of nearly
8800,000 in annual salaries paid
out by the hospital will have a
severe economic impact on the
area.
We are just now recovering
from the loss of CFB Clinton,
and with the loss of the town's,
biggest .employer, the future'
looks grim for Clinton Many of
the 80 or so families connected
with the'Clinton Hospital will be
forced to move from the area,
as no other similar fobs exist
here.
The hospital closing must be
fought, and it must be fought
elected again.
There can be no other reason.
Despite pteadiings and a strong
case from local officials of the
hospital, Mr. Milter says we
must closest) he can save, so he
says, 8800,000.
There is little doubt in our
mind, after considera-ble
research in the last week since
Mr. Miller's crushing
statement, that he will not save
any money by closing Clinton
Public Hospital or any other of
the ten hospitals. In fact it will
cost him more.
The people of this area 'will
continue to get sick, will con
tinue to seek medical aid, and
will always need hospital beds.
Mr . Miller says he wiU-'save
money by using other facilities
in the area. What other
facilities? Both Seaforth and
Goderich have indicated their
beds are full, andWinghram has
operated at near 90 percent
capacity, so where do we go'
F rel ably to London: 40 miles hard and with conviction.
. away, where it will cost two to Write to Premier Bill Davis,
three times as .much to treat a his cabinet, and make the
patient as it does in C1irLtcin, letters personal. Send copies to
Mr. Miller is breaking up one ► our local NIPPs and the leaders
of the finest medical and of the two 60tiositian parties
nursing teams in Huron, if not Make your wishes known. And.,
Ontario, justeso he can say he is if need be, we Will go down to
saving money, a false illusion. Toronto and telt the Legislature
Not once has Davis or his risonatly what a severe blow
lackeys consulted anyone; not this has been •
once has any of the o�poppositionFor once the hospital is
closed, once the doctors have
been allowed to debate the facts left, it will be "too late,. Some at
and . revec"tl the falsehoods)
before the tegistature. /end th-it, us may even die cat•se of the
�, government's c stupidity.
is supposdd fo be a' dei ocraCy!
idttof�i
•
4
The board supported a resolution from
the Lambton County board of education
to petition the Ontario government to
raise the minimum drinking age from 18
to 220 years.
The board will grant prmission to the
Hesson Youth Club to use one of the
hoard owned buses at Hesson on March
11 to take up to 50 members to Kitchener
rea mounts massprotest.
aUend rneeting
By Jim Fitzgerald .
said the loss of the hospital will mean
The community around Clinton is up in quote an economic loss to the town
arms following the order last week that because it is the town's biggest em -
Clinton's 62 -bed hospital be closed down -.toyer.
by April 1st, throwing 75 full-time em- ' The loss of the $800,000 annual hospital
ployees and 35 part-time employees out payroll would have a very determental
of work and threatening the health. effect on Clinton because the town has so
A crowd estimate at nearly 2,000
"
few jobs'in the manufacturing area.
W a are in an unique position in that
elbowed their way i to Central Huron obs are in the service industry,"
Secondary . School Tuesday night to many j
protest the closing of the Clinton facility. Mr. Denomme said.
It was the largest crowd ever assembled Entire families` incomes have been
in 'Clinton for such a purpose The wiPed out by the closing of the Goderich
gymnasium 'floor was completely `filled. (psychiatric) and Clinton hospitals and
as were the bleachers along the side. The these people won't be able to fipd jobs in
Huron County." Mr. Denomfl a said,
Mr. Denomme also added that he was
afraid many retiring persons would have
second thoughts about moving to Clinton
if there was no hospital available. Mr.
Denomme said his Association was
preparing a brief and would present it to
the Premier.
Paul Carroll, chairman of the, Con-
cerned Citizens' Committee for
Goderich Psychiatric Hospital. , said .a
meeting would be held in Stratford on
Wednesday night with representatives of
six of the closed hospitals present.
He said they would be considering
several alternative plans, including a
mass march on Queens Park in Toronto,
when the legislature reconvenes on
March 9.
Hospital administrator Doug Coventry
released figures that showed the Clinton
Hospital was one of the most efficient
' hospitals in Huron County and one of the
busiest
crowd spilled out into the hallways
where the public address system had to
be turned on to reach all those present.
Cars were parked bumper to bumper for
five blocks around the high school.
Dr. Brian Baker. chief of medical staff
at the ClintonHospital,, received the
biggest response at the meeting when he
was given a, standing ovation at the
meeting.
Dr. Baker. who has been in town since
1972. said the health minister regarded
the Clinton hospital as no more than "a
mere pin in the map.
He said that closing the Clinton facility
represented a threat to the health care of
• people in the Clinton area because the
_ other four hospitals in Huron Goderich
Alexandra, Seaforth. Exeter 'and
W ingham - had no room for patients
from Clinton.
-We have the hest medical • team to
Huron County." Dr. Baker said.
ofthe opera
-MI6? h operations carried out at He said it cost about $74 a day to keep.a
Clinton can only be done in London atient in Clinton. • compared to a
where a hospital bed costs 5100 to 5.150 provincial average of $111. The average
more than the $75 cost per day in Clinton, length of stay and the average cost of
he said. patient stay were also well below the
Not only does the Clinton hospital•
serve about 10.000 in the Clinton area, provincial average.
but 'Dr. Baker said the large influx of Clinton Mayor Don Symons said that
cottager'. and tourists in the summer council was fully behind the protest` ,
movement and had given the Clinton ��
months w4>u!d also suffer from poorer Concerned Citizen's Committee office ',
health cars"
Jack Riddell. Liberal Member of space in the town hall in the former
dice office. The phone number if 483-
Legislature for Huron -Middlesex. told �7,�
the crcnvd he would resign his seat and He recommended that each person
Thelulu-be- to th
►� u-- e. Ccin c ry ativev in a by- write-ct
a peraUetr�r to t'reirtier Davis
ky e • e cc lift
c
asked to pay for the cost of gasoline at election. if it meant saving the tospi aT� and Mr. Miller pointing out the necessity
the rate of 25 cents per mile plus the cost He,. said he asked Health Ministerof the hospital.
of ,hiring one of the regular bus drivers. Frank Miller if the closing Was a -We have been given the challenge Go
(continued on page 2 political move-. and was ,i.ssured it was show that Clinton has one of the best
not , hospitals in the province and we can set
Mr Riddell said that all of the hospital
an example for the rest of the province to
str[ke(1(i10ii closingsten so far were done without
T1iitrt-s, consultation and without w arntng. and
«pile the legislature was not meeting
Thieves are- still on the loose in Ctin• Hc, said PremierWilliamDavis has
ton. Last Saturday a tape deck was never
replied to any letters he has sent.
stonefrom a car owned by Paul Walter, "Davis doesn't want any input,- Mr
Clinton.
Mr. Walter had parked his car outside Riddell paid.Tde ,t i. hour meeting, organized by
the Clinton arena at 8 p.m.. and when he the Clinton Concerned Citizens'
came out, at 9:30 p.m. he found his tape Coalition was chaired by Clinton
deck and three tapes gone. Councillor Jim Hunter and started off
On Sunday, February 22, Johannes
• with a mock funeral service Skit put on
Leppington of Clinton lost control of his by the prefects of the high school in reality would only save the govern-
DamageVic and Street.
over a hydro pole on This was followed by a dozen speakers ment 510 million. "trot including the
Victoria Street, representing citizens. various in- welfare and unemployment insurance
at 30 andpdama 'e car is stitutrons, and business groups, and
included sGverral persons who testified benefits that have to be paid out to the
estimated $300 and damage to the fired that
hydro pole is report that tnd atnda they wouldn't. be alive today were it not He called the closings absolutely
OPP that on Monday evening• for the easy accessibility and fine care lucticri called
Februaryo23. a single carn accidentyoc-available at the Clinton Hospital Before the panel discussion. the
uss-
carred on Countyo Road 25 near wasBtreated After the speakers. a panel discussiofi
Vern Hill. 30. of .Goderich standing' room only crowd heard a
was set up on the stage and following an myriad of reasons for saving the hospital
tot an abrasion and released%erfrom address byeach of the eight panel from a dozen area residents.
Alexandra Marine and General controlHospital members• questions were heard from Jim Armstrong a Clinton said there
after a. tare blew and she lost of the floor evete 750 persons in the area over 55
her etas. Clarence Denomme. president of the (continued on page 2
Damages to her vehicle are estimated iation.
Clinton Retail
'Merchants
� cso
at $iOQ
follow." Mayor Symons said.
On the panel were hospital ad-
ministrator Doug Coventry, board
president Art Aiken, New Democratic
Party president Pat Chefurka of Londd ,
Mayor Don Symons. Huron -Bruce P
Murray Gaunt. Huron -Middlesex WIPP
Jack Riddell, hospital chief of staff lir.
Brian Baker, and Hamilton east MPP
(NDP) Bob McKenzie.
Mr. McKenzie said the hospital
tonings make "no sense whatever" and
Area tshts bac'.
One of the largest political gatherings ever held ittClinton
was witnes<ed last Tuesday night when nearly 2,000 persons
tttiinvti nut to .a protest meeting ail` the- high school. The
itrmnasium was packed 16 standing room only and a large
n' e•rflow crowd filled the hallways. In the foreground is sa
panel na te.% .al hospital officials. as well as area and
provincial politicians. (News-Recordphoto)
A