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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-03-04, Page 1twat. z hack Itiadeiit Liberal MP? for Huron- Middlesex. l� t de M%�a�the ly closing of - tyssion- of toUuo Reit Fri ..May n ital the county is setting rural Marto'beat2 to 15 Years, "The closings of hospitals in Huron is a apr . in " the face to rural Ontario," he .?d. ."What we face now is setting rural Ontarcio back 12 to 151 years." He explained that Huron was now iMI to bear the brunt of the Health Minister's restraint program and the ,closing oir hospitals was drawing from the lifeblood of the communities. He also added there is evidence of poor planning and consideration should have been even to a centralized hospital in the county. Despite poor planning he believed there were viable alternatives to complete closure •of hospitals in the county. He claimed there were too many hospital beds in Ontario and Huron county and suggested that every major hospital could have sections closed. He insisted that the government has priorities mixed up and funds could be raised from other sources rather than closing hospitals. "If there was a seven percent tax on tobacco the government could raise 540 to $50 inilligrt Iser year," he said. "If we can afford luxuries then we certainly, can afford to pay for. tnetm." He added that a 10 percent tax on tobacco would mean a $70 million revenue annually. Riddell questioned the government's priorities claiming the province didn' t need McMaster University Hospital in Hamilton and University Hospital in London. "1 could name several more hospitals we didn't need but- now t community hospitals are being sacrif ce " he said. "We do have proble s and need restraint but the government has its priorities mixed up.." . Riddell explained that it was just further evidence of the centralizing teedancies of the government and the province would only be inviting trouble through centralization. Riddell was also incensed ,• at the' hospital closings in view of the needless. spending of other government agencies. He disagreed with the Wintario Lottery as a source of revenue but questioned why the more than 520 million in revenue couldn't be used for hospitals. . He pointed out that 524 million was spent on the extension of the Spadina Expressway, a project the people of Toronto really didn't want. The government IS aLSO .Spending mon.el;Ipltals in the county we wouldn't have snowmobile tra;lii, he said. ,i ping,. said that Health Ministers Minton Hospital board vice-chakrman .. Mr.Wailes a viewed the , economic impact of the v► .Prat* lnr has . nly� made �w funds Minton Hospital cin ing as rrionste> our.: his • it doe�strs can onot own the hospital and the He added that the only alternative for services of Huron County hospitals spills hospital care was London since'R ntoother counties. Winghani `hospital was operating over 90 County councillors debated for more percent occupancy and Exeter could not than an hour as to the course of their satisfy the needs of the people. action and _ jurisdiction on the matter. "We must deplo*' , the techniques of Cleric -treasurer Bill Hanly told council the Minister in tt• _ closing and as long as, the County has no jurisdiction over the Clinton is there, -health needs will have to- hospital and can only support the efforts be met," he said. "There must be of other groups. alternatives and Clinton Hospital would Council passed two motions; one, that certainly consider a challenge to cut the • council support the hospital board budget." and the town of Clinton in their efforts to Mr. Menzies suggested that the more keep the hospital open and two that the logical approach would be to cut out Medical officer of Health and the County inefficient units in county hospitals and• Health unit present a brief to the adamantly stated the town had a good government giving reasons not to close cast against the closure of the hospital. health institutions in Huron County and "The closure of the hospital would be a, the b:Qard suggest alternatives to closing tragedy to the community if -the -decision is not reversed," he said. "It .there was to consultation with the hospital plan - sufficient cooperation from 411 the ning council. keepC �.nton oen .�. ger i1l r, Two other hospitals in Huron County have been told by Ontario Health -fdinister Frank Miller that they must cut their budgets. • Seaforth Community Hospital has been told to cut off 9.2 percent of its 51 tnillion budget of 1975, or 568,000. In Goderich, which has already had its psychiatric hospital closed. the 52 million budget of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital has been cut 2.6 wi'' f`or $55,55 00. Gordon MacKenzie, administrator of the Seaforth Community Hospital, doesn't know yet how the savings will be made but said the effects of the cuts will be compounded by the proposed closing of the Clinton hospital. • Administrator Jim Banks of the Goderich Alexandra Marine and General Hospital said the cut will mean some specific staff adjustments. He felt the proposed closing of the Clinton Hospital is a separate and distinct situation. "We don't know yet if it will be closed (Clinton) and until tjtat time comes, I cannot say how we will be affected." Frank Miller closed the Clinton Public Hospital two weeks ago. saying that those people served by the Clinton Hospital would be close enough to another hospital, "to get by". It is generally felt, however, that since - he has cut back two ether local hospitals; -these are -slim possibilities that they will have room in their wards for the surplus influx of patients. The hospitals in Wingham and Exeter have so far escaped the government's scalpel, but it is also doubtful that these two hospitals will be able to handle the overflbwy,ba ..lfritri s sick and emergency patients. Ontario Health Minister Frank Miller said Wednesday morning that he will not close the Clinton Public Hospital if the other hospitals in Huron agree to take budget cuts. Just before this paper went to press Wednesday, Jack Riddell, MPP far Huron -Middlesex, said that he had been talking to Mr. Miller Wednesday mor- ning and Mr. Miller had 'said he was flexible on the Clinton Hospital ciosin'g "`Mr., . Miller said that if the five hospitals in Huron County could decide among themselves how to cut their budgets enough to total the 5800.000 that would be saved by closing just Clinton. then Clinton would stay open." Mr. Riddell said. "The five -hospitals in Huron must be prepared to ccs -operate nn thiq matter. We have to work together," Mr. Riddell said. A closed meeting between the hospitals was held Tuesday night, but because of the ice storm, Seaforth and Exeter were unable to be present., and no action was taken. Another meeting is set for Friday and Clinton Hospital administrator Doug Coventry was confident something could be worked out. ' Jack.. Riddell and local hospital of- ficials will meet with Premier William Davis and Frank Miller next Wednesday. March 11. in Toronto, when an appeal will be presented. 143,1‘MijtersaJ ,,that the fiivehospitals In Huron have until then to come up with analternative plan to closing Clinton. Mary" Smith makes pancakes at the Guatemalan Relief Fund breakfast held last Sunday in Sty Joseph's Church basement. after Mass. Marc than 260 per- scns attended, and over 5600 was raised, (News -Record photo) Ice storm cripples area The worst ice storm in at least 10 years has crippled a large part of south- western Ontario. Hydro was out in all areas of southern Huron county and north Middlesex county, on Wednesday morning. Walter Palmer, area manager of Ontario Hydro at the Clinton area office. said that the trouble is widespread and the entire hydro system is out in the areas at the south end of Lake Huron. east to St. Mair°; s. ""e cause of the. trouble is due to broken tree limbs, wires down. and uncounted broken hydro pole's. In one two mile stretch near Exeter. I've been told that 35 telephone poles are down.' .., said Mr. Palmer. Goderich and Clinton escaped any major breakdowns. He also hoped that by the end of the day (Wednesday) the transmission might be back again. "But", he continued, "It will be a matter of days before everyone will be back to normal. I would say it will take at least until Friday to get everything repaired. We have arranged outside help to assist in the repairs. The Clinton PUC is one group which is helping out." Jim Scott, area manager of Bell Telephone, urges everyone in the crippled areas to use their phones just for emergencies. 'Customers in Centralia. Crediton. Exeter and Henson will be experiencing a slow dial tone. The telephone system uses batteries, but. a generator run by electricity recharges them. Now the batteries are running down. because there is no electricity to run the generators. which recharge the bat- teries. We do have emergency power on the way down to these areas. but it isn't there yet and if the batteries are dead, there is no way they can be recharged". he said. By 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. 42 Clinton customers had phoned and reported that their drop lines. the lines which run from their homes to the - telephone pole:, were broken. Thirty-two other Clinton customers had phoned and reported other problems with their phone lines. Due to poor driving conditions on the side roads. most rural schools in the county have been closed. in Clinton. on Wednesday. the Clinton Public School was open and so was CRSS. although the high school didn't have any buses twining. By Jim Fitzgerald The weather seems to be getting a regular spot in this column as of late, and here it is again this week, rearing its ugly head. Although the immediate Clinton area missed the crippling ice storm last Tuesday. we have witnessed some real weather rarities. With the temperatures hovering near 20 degrees F. we' ve had thunderstorms both Monday and Tuesday night, and the weatherman has thrown everything in the book at us, including rain. snow. sleet, freezing rain and high winds. According to the weather office. February was slightly warmer than a prage with about a normal amount of rain and snow. but March came in like a lion. +++ The proposed closing of the Clinton Hospital. like the weather. is ,being discussed a lot, but unlike the weather, we can do something about the closing. The Concerned Citizens group is con- tinuing their fight and will do so until the very end, but they need your help. As well as offering moral support. they badly need financial support, as they have a lot of bills to pay. `'There have already been some major donations, including the Legion, who gave $250, and Hullett Twp., who have kicked in 51.000. but more is needed. The fight must go on. so keep your letters and cash flowing. + + + In order to help the Concerned Citizens. the Clinton Lions Club have scheduled a fund raising hockey game this Sunday night at 7 p. m. that will pit the Clinton Wildcats against the C1NX Try Herds. Try and + + + e it out. Our. honorable (?) health minister, Frank Miller, will be open for eucstioning this Friday from 10 to noon on CFPL radio. and I'm sure he'd like to mar from you. Director` of Nursing of Clinton Public Hospital, Barbara Cooper. right, greets provincial NDP leader, Stephen Lewis on his arrival to Clinton Public Hospital, last Friday af- ternoon. Mr. Lewis spoke to the hospital board and con- cerned citizens about the imminent closing of the hospital. Lewis tells citizens By Bev Clark "The obsession with restraints has become so fashionable that the human dimension is never taken into con- sideration." said Stephen Lewis. provincial NDP leader. when he came to the Clinton Hospital last Friday. February 27. Mr. Lewis met with the hospital board. the medical staff of the Clinton hespital. town council, and the Concerned Citizens' Committee and tctld the group that his party was behind them 100 percent. "1 promise you. there will be • no equivocation with us". he said. regar ding the Liberal party's - some should be closed. some shouldn't be closed at- titude "i can't fathom hospital closures. it makes no sense. 1 don'fnbelieve that's where the savings come from." Mr. Lewis said. „ He also believes that at least 4.000 people will be ot''t of work due to the cutbacks. Se said that the system cannot Standing behind Mr. Lewis is Patel Carroll„ spokesman for the Concertied Citizen's Committee of GPH and also the NDP candidttie for the riding of Huron -Middlesex. (News - Record photo) to continue fight ,•etaorb these layoffs. With at least 222.000 people -Ain unemployment for 20 creeks Mr. Lewis said the government will be paying "a couple of million dollars" in benefits. Mr. Lewis suggested that a group representing the hospitals should be present at each caucus meeting. "Members of the Legislature are vulnerable people who shnuld be pushed. If a group were to come to each caucus meeting and sit down and put forward their case. it wouldn't hurt them (the men,her• of the legislature) a bit, to listen." Mr. Lewis said. He admitted that lobbying and pressuring were very important. "If you get together with every hospital that has been closed and present your case to Queen's park with an or- derly and persuasive demonstration. a demonstration iwith dignity, it should have an impact on the legislature," he added Miss Barbara Cooper. the director of nursing brought up the point about the cardiac units. bought by the hospital with the help of a Sl.000 dollar donation from the Clinton Legion. "Goderich and Seaforth hospitals have already asked us for our cardiac units. All the nurses here at the Clinton Hospital know how to use them. but these ether hospitals will not hire us. they'll have to spend money and train their nurses on the use of thein. It's crazy. when we're already trained." she said. Mr. Lewis left Clinton promising that his party would do eve' ything in their power to help. but he cot ldn't offer any plausible solutions because. "1 see no logic. There is no rationale behind these closures. except for an arbitrary one." he said. Mr. Leewis went on to Goderich and then Durham to discuss their hospital closures, By Ross Haugh After considerable discussion Monday afternoon, the, Huron County board of education referred recommendations from the budget committee to a special meeting to be held Monday. March 15. The budget committee suggested a number of ways in which costs can be reduced. Superintendent of business affairs Roy Dunlop said the proposed cuts would reduce the overall budget by only about one percent Dunlop said he anticipated the gross budget would be up about 20 percent from last year. He said although the provincial government had put a ceiling, of eight percent on expenditures. "it's impossible to stay at that figure. We had teacher contracts go up last year by 30 percent and this carries through until this year." In discussion of the proposed cut- backs. board chairman Kerb Turkheim said, "We don't want to let the quality of education deteriorate. but we want to assure our taxpayers that the mill rate will be held as much as possible." Turkheim said he hoped a proposed increase in levies to the municipalities of about 50 percent could be reduced to 30 percent. Budget committee chairman John Elliott said the budgetary restraint would remove all extraordinary ex- penses and a 10 percent cutback in or- dinary expenses. Dunlop said it was almost impossible to estimate at this time what savings would come about from the proposed cutbacks. He said formula decreases would save about 5230.000 and additional savings would come from driver education 56,500, possibly 510.000 in utilities and a sizable amount in the cutback of about five from the secretarial staff. Elliott said the secondary school principals in the county had agreed to a 10 percent cutback on expenses and although it wasn't unanimous there was a feeling that they could, live with another 10 percent drop. .A delegation of elementary school principals headed by Bruce Robertson of Howick Central asked to be allowed to discuss the budget restraints before they became official. The brief said. "We note that some of the proposals for budget cuts are very close to the students and day to day operation of the schools. We wish to express our concerns and request the opportunity to contribute some input and suggestions Since there is a management factor in our role. we suggest we should have some in- volvement in the decision making process "We believe that the Huron County board sof education is approaching the budget decisions in a very conscientious manner and we would hope that no sources of information would be overlooked in establishing priorities that satisfy all levels of the system." • Exeter Public School principal Jim Chapman added. "What we are asking for is more inside information and a chance to give input.'• The board agreed to have the budget committee chairman and other mem- bers meet with the )rincipals Wed- nesday afternoon. The' proposals from the budget committee for cutbacks included grass cutting. custodial supplies. budget formula 'items. transportation, driver education, night school fees. extra- curricular use of schools, secretarial assistance'and conservation of energy. In the matter of grass cutting. all playing fields and rough acr"age areas would not be fertilized and not kept like lawns. Forcustodial supplies a freeze would be- put on to the extent of $5.50 per pupil at the secondary level and $4.50 per pupil at the elementary schools. Elliott said !lifts was about a 10 percent cut from a continued on page 2