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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-12-04, Page 94 • JE 611-7GODERIC/ISIGNAL-STAR, THURSDAY, p ECEMBER 4, 1975 al '11 r• •• -,ts.tarr'e4"6 4 •,• 9 r• ear II. .4 ministratot says public should be aware there's nothing free about emergency services he Goderich Lions Club .eaker Thursday evening as• Jim Banks, ad- ministrator of Alexandra Marine and General,Hospital. He spoke to the group about the expansion plan's for the hospital. Sod turning ceremonies for the new ad- dition are this weekend, Mr. Banks referred to the Agnew -Peckham report,, an in-depth study on health care in Perth and Huron Counties. The following is the text of•his speech to the Lions: "I believe it is relevant to outline .the basic recom- mendations of the, report to emphasize the needs that the Hospital Board has addressed itself to. They were: "I) AM and GH should° continue to enlarge and ex- pand its role, due ,to . its distance from Stratford and London. "2) An increasing amount of laboratory work should be referred to Stratford, and to other areas of specific specialization, such as London. "3) 'The Only major and urgent requirement is considerable ' updating and improving of the emergency department. This is totally inadequate to .handle the volume of work in the sum- mer months; a considerable 'enlargement a this depar- tment shouldbe considered a priority item for the.region,' This is a directquote from the report. "4) Diagnostic and treatment services should be developed slowly' and con- tinuously here with a greater ,accent on outpatient work. "5) The hospital should provide, an enlarged. role in the treatment of coronary care, intensive care and prbvide greatly improved emergency services. "Immediately prior' to the submission of the Agnew - Peckham Report • nd con- t nuously since th time, the Then Ontario Hospital Ser- vices Commission and today the Ministry of Health, have been apprised of our specific needs and they have sup-, ported this development project with varying degrees of) sincerity and constrained by Provincial Monetary freezes in the past 'regarding' the construction of, new or expanded hospital facilities. "Our first feasibility study was done in July 1921and this. study by our archirectural firm.delineated those specific area required in the hospital to meet the basic recom- mendations of the Agnew - Peckham Report. "I think it is important at this point in time to mention that at all phases of this develsObment plan, ,we have - involved our medical, nursing and technical staff in the development process and they all identify very closely, with the plans that we have now had approved and are working on. "That is not to say that the original plans aretthe ones we are working on at this time as we have had about eight to nine revisions of these, each one accommodating either new information available to us at the time or embodying recommendations made by the Ministry of° Health relative to ° changing con- 'sfruction codes or requirements which had not rr. been accommodated in previous draft plans. • ' MANY 'DELAYS "Again as a matter of in- forniation, it should be stated that approval in ,principle to develop this expanded facility was granted by the Ontario Hospital Services Com- mission on the 2nd of March 1972 but it was at that time that the availability of financial support became clouded with the Provincial Government and the basic program was . tabled until such time as' it could be clarified. "It was then in the spring of 1973 that the hospital was informed that there would be a one possibly two year hiatus during which funds for this type of project would not be available" and therefore dampened the project sub- stantially. "Not- 'to review the many and sundry things that happened during the ensuing two years, it is particularly of . interest that it was on the 12 of May of this year. that we received approval to proceed with the construction of our boiler plant and necessary eqUipment. Then final ap- proval for the ex,panded emergency department, x-, ray facilities and laboratory fac.ilities was received on the 16.th of June of this year. , "I believe that this brings ,us to thepoint'in time that.the preliminary requirernents have been explained and the very lengthy process has been alluded to, while not specifically documented as this is not my purpose tonight. "I would like to however,. indicate the magnitude of the work that is being done and what it means in terms of additional space. While generalizing, and ,not at- tempting to 'give you the total square footage .of the • hospital, •it is suffice to say that • we are adding ap- proximately 8,800 square feet of new area to the hospital. "We 'are also renovating approximately 2,500 square feet to fit with the new design of the hospital. In fact what this means is that we are going to be increasing our laboratory ,space by - ap- Oroximately 100 percent, we are increasing our radiplogy° facilities to the extent of one ,c.,,smpletely new radictlogy room with the very modern equipment and the patient - areas, waiting rooms eta. will be more appropriate to give privacy and accessibility to that particular function. "Of priority we believe, is the expadsion of our emergency department which now 1 -as a general roo.m, and a what could be construed as an emergency operating room. This facility. is being expanded to ac- commodate such very vital facilities as a resuscitation' room which is a room which will .be initially used for major trauma or medical crisis which will contain those life., supporting pieces of. equipment •whieh-t!deal with crisis in a anuch more ef- ficient and effective manner. "Additional to this there will be specific rooms for the treatment of fractures, there is an emergency operating room for minor surgical procedures and a number of treatment rooms where a patient can.be taken to.and, accommodated with some degree of privacy While his specific needs are attended to by the medical and nursing staff. -`!..,We believe that the privacy of the patient is a paramount concern in the structuring of any medical facility whether it is for an in= patient or out-patient use: We have heard so much from the general public and fromjhe media about the inwerannal approach to 'medical care that so many of the peoPle. in the 'arious professions tend to develop within the hospital setting. ' • "I recall George Finstad of the CBC.National News Team making the point while he was a panelist at the Natienal Convention in Saskatoon this year that -his recent hospital visit was rather damaging to his personal ego. "He mentioned that fact that people in the public eyp Were expected to retain a certain image and this 1n- cluded retaining a persbnpl image due to the fact .that - certain amount of self- confidence was 'required to face 'an audience- such as.hcs on a nightly basis. ' "On entering the hOspital he mentioned that he was g there for ,certain diagnostic tests and a nurse gave him one of the famous `johnny gowns' which covers the frpnt part of the anatomy but d'oes not ',necessarily adequately cover the posterior. While standing in a bleak and sterile examination room with nothing between him and his maker except this johnny g gown e very curvaceous, g nurse came into theroomand '44 having identified who it was, Ti rather snickered a bit 'and* then proceeded to ask .him about the body functions he, w • had accomplished thaydayy. All this being within the earshot and eyesight 'of , A certain other patients and staff members._ "He indicated that this, ' really did not do much for what -he considered his public image and I believe there is a message in that statement for us. people of the areas which it serves. "It should be mentioned that in 'connection .with the expanded, role of the hospital and the expansion of the facilities, it has become necessary due to many factors to reinitiate. t,he production of our own stean-1- for heating and medical purposes from and with our own resources, "The boilprs which were in the hospital have net been used to any degree for ap- prbximately, 18 to 20 years, inasmuch as we have been putchasing our steam ex-, ternally. This however, became an uneconomical proposition and we have gained' the approvaL of government and • of communities to install the the new equipment in the boiler plant and this will make the heating of the hospital much more efficient and of nurse reliable inasmuc.h.ag we are including anadequate standby capacity to meet the needs of the hospital today and in the future. "I believe that there are a number of questions- which could and should be asked by you as interested businessmen in the' com- munity nd should he asked by the ,public , about the in- tended role of the hospital and what they and you should expect from our ,hospital or from in fact, any hospital. 11 have recently received d copy of the recoM enerfdat ions from the report of the Special Program • Review dated the 2.0th of November 1975. This ,iucly was initiate& by the Provincial Treasurer and has fifteen specific recom- mendations cegarding health- care delivery in the province. • "I do believe that one of these is particularly pertinent to our area and that ist8.14 which states the Ministry of Health in co-operation with the Medical Profession and the Ontario Hospital Association be directed to provide tp the government by April .1, 1976 alternative „ proposals or financial and other ways to increae public awareness of health costs and to , discourage careless or unnecessary use of health — services. THE COST BREAKDOWN "This is an 'area'. which I (continued on page 7B) u 0„, ter't ,774,74,••481,410k,r,A$4 ' ItArdt• ,r,'+•Si. Or' 're„.;"14',4-tr 4e9,,ti• • V" I, • No scrubbing Nd soaking No steaming ,•;, HAVE YOUR CARPETS. AND FURNITURE CLEANED FLOWER -FRESH BY PROFESSIONALS ,-. Dt.w.ticleart takes the soil OUT! he ParentGuaranteed 'Seal • • ' 4' 11 tionoted hD, t, the Duro lean' Irwin Absdrption Pm( es, )et, the drrt (rut', that the other meti0)ds leA.‘e in', . . `),Ilcsi 0 r 011)n(". .111(i ober, \•1,',t1(11,t dims and textures sdrrng 1)„01, He It's all dt )11C 11 \ tr)r 21.1ests the , da\ Cati-uslor a Free Quotation 48 2-7,5 7 Larry Marlatt Clinton Rads Ih MA DIVISION OF TANDY LEATHER CO. OF CANADA LIMITED UNE DIVISION DE TANDY LEATHER CO. DU CANADA LIMITEE COST UNDER $1,000,000. "The costs involved in this 71, particular phase of our ex- panSion, amount' to slightly tinder a million dollars. This includes the cost of • the con'struction itself and.also A the cost of the equipment W, Which is 'going to that facility. ."You can fully appreciate 71 that it would worthless to build a facility which provided for the treatmpnt and care of people V,Atti_ varying degrees of' need and, not provide the tools to carry,' such care out. Therefore while being prudent in terms of the needs of the hospital, it. has also been necessary„tO-_,- consider the specific rolls.and requirements of such pieces ' of equipment and what they are intended tpaccomplish. "It is our considered opinion that while we have.,,. planned for a very efficient -- unit, we have not in any -Way been extravagant 'n'Or hive we tried to exceed the role which our hospital should now W, or in the future expect to ply in the health care for .the (!4, Iv SOUND THIS CHRISTMAS 'REALISTIC MODULETTE Just plug it in and you are ready to play 8 track or tune FM stereo or AM. When you're ready to add on Synthesized 4 - channel just connect a' second pair of speakers. Has push button power on- off, stereo indicator light and head- phone lack. Radio Shack • • • • • • • • • • • • MODULETTE - 808. Listen to F'M stereo or AM, - pre-recorded 84rack tapes or record your own at low -cilst. You can add a ceramic phono anytime. 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