HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-03-11, Page 20nyi
Clinton
pefldty
ey also mid
uents are, as
government, < .
unit"► to renlie that the
Ito er ent of Ontario is being forced
into s move by the announced
tention of the federal government to
squirm out of the fedi rnl provincial
medicare rogrn."
M. *WhiteyMadded, "I cannot
remember, a single issue that has
aroused as much pulali+c. indignation and
public hostility as the announcement
that i nton hospital Would be closed."
Mr- McKinley rejected the province's
argument that the hospital is under-
utilized and that other facilities exist in
the area to fill the gap.
He also raised the question as to
whether Mr. Miller was assuming that
the equipment and staff would be
graciously given to the surrounding
hospitals, remembering that it was the
aMMo
ecent1y announc : trge cif boa pital
dnings,
a House of Coammonss debate last
Wednesday March 3, Mr. McKinley
MM., 'We in. Qntarlo were conned into
Joining the federal Medi-+c�.are Program
in the first place. The conviction that
universal medicaland hospital care is
the right of all citizens, regardless of
their financial capability, was the basis
of the Medicaresystem that we had in
Ontario when the federal government
came along in 1969 and forced us to. join
what was touted to be a better system."
In regard to the planned closing o `rthe
Clinton hospital Mr. McKinley hassasked
for a meeting with Premier William
Davis and Health Minister Frank Miller
to discuss the situation.
we get letters
will he
Ing of
evlewed
House,
ry with
they
Ised the
$' agree With.
ftiatrest>raint better management
and best eaae el
dollar, but
cannot comprehend the logic of a
ministry that proposes to cut costs in.
health care hy, choosing to eliminate the
hospital that seems ' to be giving the
people excellent use of the health
dollar." Mr. McKinley said.
Mr. McKinley claimed that it was
unfair financially and morally to force
people .tp goon unemptoyrnent, thus
draining the federal government coffers.
He felt it was also unfair of Mr. Miller to
offer an alternative which would make
Clinton a villain in the eyes of the public
andcolleagues in health care. by
proving that Clinton is a better hospital
than others in the county
"It is insufferable that in this day and
age the government should indicate to us
that this is the tactic we should adopt in
order to survive and provide what we
believe is quality service to the people of
Huron County," he said.
Just interested in dollars and cents
Dear Editor:
The following letter has
been sent to Frank Miller..
Mr. Frank Miller,
Queen's Park,
TORONTO, Ontario.
ear Sir:
First I wish to say that
there is no point in discussing
the loss of jobs arid. wages of
the hospital staff, even
though we all know it will
cause hardship to these
people. Mr. Miller,. you are
not interested in such MINOR
details. j stdollars and cents.
We in Clinton have to save
our hospital, ' and thereby
save the jobs of these won-
derful dedicated people.
I came to Clinton 2% years
ago from a much bigger town,
and openly stated "I hope I
don't get sick and have to go
to this' backwoods hospital."
That was the most foolish
statement I ever made. I
have had two operations in
Clinton hospital in the last
three months. The first was
minor surgery, and the
second, major, and I owe my
life to Dr. Harrett and Dr.
Lambert. If it hadn't been for
their diligence, caring and
skill, I would probably have
died a few years from now, of
undetected cancer:
Many of our citizens must
• have reason to be grateful to
these doctors, and all the.
others, in the town and
hospital of Clinton.. If this
hospital closes, have you
"politicians" stopped to think
what will happen to all of us?
Doctors and nurses will move
away to other hospitals
(probably out of the province,
for where else can they work
- in Ontario?) which leaves us
up the proverbial creek
without a Doctor, and
naturally, people who need
consistent and continuous
medical treatment will have
to move to other towns also,
and gradually we'll find
Clinton is a ghost town. Who
will move here or stay,
without the security of
knowing that first rate
medical care is .close at hand -
foliow this a little further - if
nobody is moving in, and
moony Moving out, what will
happen to property values - so
on -and so on' t t t
This . thing starts with the
cold words "Your hospital is
closed" but the repercussions
will be enormous.
I wish to state A4tiring my
two' stays in Clinton' hospital..
I received first class surgery
and the very best of nursing
care following my two
operations. I was released
only seven days after my
major surgery to recuperate
at home, hardly wasted bed
usage!!
It is just two weeks since
my "big" operation. and it's
thanks to such excellent care
that I progressed far e,sough
to be at our protest meeting
last Tuesday. I know I could
not have received better care
in Stratford or London
hospital. and I ' would have
been utterly miserable being
so far away from home, my
husband and friends would
not have been able to travel -
that distance to visit ' me.
Another very important
point. my own doctors would
have not been able to tend
me.
So Mr. Miller and cohorts,
how can you sleep nights with
such a weight on your con-
sciences? If a citizen sees
somebody dying and does
nothing to help, what would
the criminal charges be?
What you are doing is worse,
you are not just turning a
"blind eye" you are creating
a situation which will
inevitably CAUSE death by
removing hospitals from a
reasonably quick and safe
access.
• The people of . Clinton are
angry, and frightened with
Sr. citizen deeply concerned
Dear Editor.
The following letter ex-
presses the feelings of a
concerned senior citizen after
attending the open meeting at
the High School re the closure
of our local hospital..
Premier William Davis and
Health. Minister Frank
Miller, as a senior citizen of
Clinton, Ontario it gives me a
feeling of deep concern and
grief to think that two sup-
posed intelligent men, elected
in faith by the people of
Ontario to be 'their choice of
leaders for the interests of all
'people, can or would. without
any meeting or discussion of
legislature, go through the
country and say we are
closing this or that much
needed hospital, without
giving concerned, interested
people a chance to have any
say.
I would like to ask Mr.
'Davis and. Mr. Miller to take
INdependeut §clipper
to '
United Ce -operative
of Ontario
Livestock Dept.
Toronto
Ship Your Livestock
with
Rey ScecMmer
Monday Is Shipping
Day From Varna Stockyard
CALL BAYPIELI) -210
By 7:30a.m, Monday
For Prompt Service --
N.o Charges on Pick-up
t1
good reason, when we have a
small group of cri>tninally
negligent' power hungry
people dictating to us, telling
us whether we may live or
die!!
To the people otChnton.,and
digeler" I am saying' fight
this stupid act as though your
rr.
their bibles and open them to
St. Matthew.. Chapter 25 and
read what is written there,
not once but several times,
esjecially ve'rse`s 31-46.
Then they should ask
themselves if they still feel
they are doing the right thing.
if they can still do this with
a clear conscience then all 1
can say is may God have
mercy on their souls when
they stand before the Great
Judge.
A Concerned
Clinton Citizen
lives depend upon it, for in-
deed they do" and to you.Mr.
Miller and friends, I say
"Good night, sleep well (if
you can!)"
Yours truly,
(Mrs: yanet Walters.
Concerned Citizen,
Clinton.
l• ather Stephen Eckert Couac1l„of the Knights of Colutnbi s
of Seaforth and District welcomed ten new members
recently following ceremonials by the installation team of
the Seaforth council. The K. of C. hall in St. Columhan has
been newly renovated. Seated is Grand Knight John Paul
octor refutes statisties_-.
OPEN LerrER
TO MRM1 E. . .
Thank you foie your rant
letter concerning hospital
closures. . 1 must disagree
with your 'attitude that. "the
costs of health care have been
escalating at an annual rate
greater than the revenues of
this Province can ac-
commodate". Kindly note
the following.
1. 1975 Ontario Budget
estimates show health -care
expenditures of $2.886 billion
and a Gross Provincial
axwell declared at a recent
conference of . the Ontario
Health Association, that
Canada .rate of overall
health spending by govern,
merits is decliningg. Maxwell,.
after surveying health costs
in twenty countries. stated
that Canada has REDUCED
its rate, to less than. 7 percent
of the Gross National Product
(G.N.P.) while in other
developed countries, it
continues to increase. In
Sweden and the U.S.A. health
spending accounts' 'tor 8
percent of the G.N.P.- -
In closing hospitals in small
communities, you are
destroying facilities which
are essential to the delivery
of good primary medical
care. Countries as diverse in
outlook acid in structure as
Britain and China have
realized that primary care,
administeredby health,
personnel within the com-
munities, is' the bast costly
and most desirable way of
billion.
(G.P.P.) of :We
are real � eo 1e
sehow
health care costs to account
to 4.4 percent of the G.P.P;
Figures for earlier years
show that health care ct,
accounted for 4.4 percent of
the G.P.P. in 1974, 4.5 percent
in 1972, 43 percent in 1971 and
4.5 percent in 1970.
2. Federal health minister,
Marc Lalonde and British
health consultant Robert
Concerned
Dear Editor,
I hope everyone is doing
everything to fight the
closures of any hospitals. We
need all our community
hospitals.
There are ways of saving
money but that is not right.
They fought until they won
when they didn't want the
airport at Pickering so We
must fight until' we win on this
one.
Any government that wants
to play politics at the expense
of sick people has to be shown
that all the people are ready
to stand up against it.
All hospitals should share
in the cut backs.
Why should Frank Miller be
allowed to close hospitals and
build a big, new one in his
riding. Doctors go overseas to
help people get hospitals to
care for the sick. Are we
going to sit idly by and let our
sick people die because our
government is so irrespon-
sible?
Let's fight to the bitter end.
A Conerned citizen,
Clinton
Still reeling; from shock
Dear Editor,
This is a letter directed to
Mr. Miller and the people of
Clinton.
We are reeling from the
shock of our hospital closure..
we were told to produce
alternatives.
"Intangible" is defined as
incapable of being perceived
by touch. noun:' ' as a
trademark or 'good will.
I suggest that 'our hospital„.
is the intangible heart of
Clinton, and it . has- been
shown by many reports to be,
the hospital and staff in
Huron county, with a heart.
There has to be a reason
why Clinton has•a top medical
surgical team. There has to
be a reason why the people
from Bayfield and Goderich
call Clinton their hospital. I
suggest the reasons to be the
good will in Clinton hospital
and confidence in the care
received.
Weather is a factor
disregarded in places not
near our snow belt. Many
times we are in the midst of a
wifter,,is,,,-rm north of Exeter,
that`:'ndon knows nothing
about. also making extremely
hazardous any trips to
Sea forth or Goderich.
So what can we do? We can
give up our OB depar t
and 80 percent o1nxer p 's., 'n
This would leave us Miff tin
acute care clinic -type facility
consisting of out-patient -
ray, physiotherapy, and
enough beds for surgery and
the heart moniter.
The immediate unan-
swered question is. what is
planned for our chronic care
people?
Mr. Miller. what do you
suggest for them' Are you
going to allow us a nursing
home. so that these people
can stay in the community.?
Mildred McAdam.
registered nurse,
Clinton
Dear Editor.
This is a copy of a letter I
have written to some
members of Parliament.
other newspapers and
PremierDavis!
Dear Sir:
Last week we attended a
"concerned citizens''
meeting in protest to the
closing of our hospital. It was
largely attended and was to
me, a thrilling experience.
I wish you could have been
there to see the "real` people
of Clinton and Huron County.
not just a little spot on the
map. but a truly concerned
group of citizens who really
care about their towrs's
economy and their health
care.
Mr. Miller says he is trying
to cut costs and save money.
Who for? The rest of Ontario,
especially the very rich,
luxurious hospitals' in
southern Ontario?
Put yourself in the place of
some gentleman who sud-
denly wakes in the night with
severe chest pains. By the
time he or his wife can get an
ambulance, find a. hospital
that has a'r'se €ltd..:Will ac-
cept him, he will most likely
be dead.
I won't go into the details of
the other hospital beds. that
Mr. Miller so glibly says are
available. because you know
better than we. that they are
not going to be available at
all.
I and my husband, as
Canadian citizens born and
raised in Ontario. feel we
should have every privilege
and right that every other
person in Ontario enjoys.
Hoping you are as con-
cerned as we.
I remain yours truly.
(Mrs, r Dorothy Flagg.
Box 626.
C 1 inion. Ontario
providing good medical care,
to rural and urban dwellers
alike. Why then, without any
consultation with the com-
munities and their
representatives, have you
struck at the very foundation
of good medical care?
Most responsible citizens
recognize the need for
government restraint, but
why did you not approach this
in a- 'traditional democratic
manner? The public is well
aware of the fact that your
restraint programme com-
menced immediately after
the legislature recessed and
that its brutal execution was
complete before it recom-
menced, thereby preventing
the necessary debate within .
the legislature.
Why did you not look at
other ways of saving health
dollars before axing
hospitals? Are podiatric.
optometric and chiropractic
services as essential to our
health as local hospitals?
Must we tolerate the ever
increasing number of ad-
ministrative staff required to
run O.H.I.P.? Do all senior
citizens require free
medications? etc. etc.
Once again, I stress that
this irresponsible un-
democratic closure of
hospitals will not be forgotten
by the electorate of Ontario.
Yours sincerely.
J.L. Hollingworth, M.D.
Katt, and the new members are, front left, Rick-W.1as_,,,
Larry Denomme, Don Beuchamp and rear, Rick- Greater,
lli.
ay�•ne Overholt, Mark Gelinas, Bill DeGroot, Don Scruton
and Steve Durand. John Carlin was missing. (Expositor
Photo)
Why you should
let H&R Block worry
about your income taxes.
H&R Block is a full-time,
year-round income tax
preparation firm. We don't
disappear after April 30th.
Offices are open all year to
help you with tax problem.
Get a little peace of mind.
ssmomassomassomommummome
H&R' BLOCK
THE INCOME TAX PEOPLE
30 ISAAC ST. CLINTON
Corner of Isaac 8 Mary Streets.
across from I.G.A.
OPEN Mon.. Tues.; Thurs. 8 Frs., 10 to 6
Sat. 10 to 1
Phone 482 3686
NO APPOINTMENT
NECESSARY
ALSO
19 VICTORIA ST. N.
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Any WEDNESDAY This Month
WhenyoubuyaThriftBox
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from our
representative,
David Alexander
who will be at:
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ON THE 3 RD Thursday, of Rath
month
MARCH 18
FRENCH FRIES FOR 3
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