HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-12-23, Page 18.ti
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PA ° --GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1975
t.
Chrlstmas , o diminishd. at
health centres in Stratford.
"The „increase in mental
diseases is one of the grave
cankers of our society," Dr.
Conlon said.
The doctor was somewhat
concerned about reports that
G PH had been operating at 50
to 60 percent occupancy. He
said that someone is
"seriously misinformed".
Dr, Conlon said he has
become extremely concerned
in recent weeks about . the
over -crowding at GPH. He
says the hospital has been
operating at 90 percent oc-
cupany or over. It probably
has the highest admission
rate in,the province of
Ontario ith probably th'e
highest number of active care'
beds. Only a small per-
centage of the patients are
there on a long term basis.
He proudly outlined the
dive 'sity of the' services at._
GPH - adult care, ehild care,
family services, care for
alcoholics, psychogeriatric
services.
"I .cannot see how. those
needs are going to be met in
this community without the
services of the hospital:" said
Dr, Conlon.
He said studies` indicate
that the - ideal size for a
mental health facility is
around 200-250 beds.
continued from page 1
he has been confined with an
illness.
"I cannot! magine or justify
that something that was
obviously considered to be of
tremendous importance,
overnight tends to be
redundant." said Dr. Conlon.,
As medical director, I can
offer an ,assurance with
absolute conviction and sone
pride, that the hospital
through thea dedication arid
ability of its staff, achieved a
degree of excellence that has
served as a model for mental'
health standards throughout
Canada," Dr, Conlon stated, '
For nearly ten years now,
Dr. Conlon . has been
responsible for mental health
care in Huron, Perth and
Bruce" as well as mental
55000 HURON
CUP
DEC. 27th & 28th
VikEEIVGREgis
Unwinding an endless string of
good wishes for your joy at
Christmas. It's a pleasure to
know you ... thanks all.
TOWN OF GODERICH
CHRISTMAS and, NEW YEAR'S
;GARBAGEiPICK-UP
4
Thursday, December 25th, 1975, route will be
picked. up on Wednesday, December 24th.
Friday, December 26th, 1975, route will be
picked up on Saturday, December. 27th.
Thursday,.Januar�r`'is_f, 1976, route will be picked
up on Friday, January 2nd, 1976.
Friday, January 2nd, 1976, route will be picked
up. as usual.
PLEASE BE GOVERNED ACCORDINGLY.
Jo Harold Walls, A.M.C.T., C.M.C.
Clerk -Treasurer
Town of Goderich
=41:555:IA=4 'WA Mta 5.11ttaAaSta MA Pa MA
"No longer are larger,
cumbersome institutions the
optimum for mental
patients," said Dr. Conlon.
The doctor said he was fully
aware of the needs of the
retarded in the province, but
added that the m -ental health
needs of the community are
just as alarming, He said
when he came' to Goderich,
there was a six month waiting
list to get a child into care at
London .and suggested that a
similar situation might be
expected with the loss of
GPH.
Dr, Conlon felt one of the
greatest achievements at the
hospital, had been the degree
of `public acceptance it had
developed. He praised the
informality of the admissions
Pere, andL.pointed with pride
to the "Willingness of people
to come in by themselves for
care". He said GPH' had the
lowest certification ad-
mission rate,in the province.
Health Minister Frank
Miller had some hard words
for about 500 hospital board
chairmen arid' administrators
in Toronto Friday,
He said that even with the
planned major cutback in
beds affecting most areas of
the province, the ministry's
share of the total 1976 budget
"`will be upeabout $300 mijlion
or 11 percent more than 'this
Year. Estimates on this
year's health budget amount
to $2,.56• billion or 28,7 percent
of the provincial budget.
Mr. Miller said 'the'
province has "reached the
fiscal limits of possibilities"
in terms of being able to
provide anything.- and
everything to meet the public,
demand. '
"We must limit the in-
crease in our health budget,
and at the same time we must
at least maintain, if not
improve, if we can,' the
overall quality of our health -
,care service."
He said community mental
health programs for all will
be maintained and home
care, drug benefit and public
health units will be relatively
unaffected, though there will
be little room for expansion.
In addition,' d"ease
prevention ' and health
promotion will increase in'
importance and ' be' main-
tained.
However, he 'told hospital
officials ,, that because
hospitals account for more
than half the budget, major
reductions must be made.
Besides the
"rationalization" of
laboratory and provincial
psychiatric .services, there
will -be no approval for, fur-
ther nursing home beds, nor
any increase in the amount of
•
GPH with closing Qrder.
L.
money spent on research and the kind of constraints the:'
demonstration model" province will be im-
projects next year. plementing "are not likely to
Mr. Miller said while he have an adverse effect on life
and death situations."
"In fact," he said, "the
over-all result is possibly
going to produce an im-
provement,"
He stressed that the policy
of "hospital rationalization"
is based on "considerations of
both health and finance."
He assured delegates he did
not relish the idea of ordering
cutbacks.
It's the surest way to
political oblivion," said Mr.
Miller, observing that some
people have told him he has
six months left "at best".
The health minister said in
an interview later that as
unpleasant and as politic*,
. unpalatable as they are
spending restraints are ab=
•solutely essential in Ontario.
He said that while it was
dangerous to risk voter
alienation by such cuts,';
especially under a minority
government, there was no
choice. The spending cut-
backs had to -be made for the
good of the province regar-
dless of thel political risks.
Mr. Miller said he would be
travelling to 12 cities in the
province to try to put across
the message and seek public
understanding of the need for
constraints. His trips are to
start in January.
Mr. "Miller said that unlike
education where the public
seems ready to do with less,
'the health field is not the
same. There„ he said, the
public does not have the same
attitude. As a result, selling
the message of spending-
restraint with its in-
conveniences will be difficult,
he admitted.
When one delegate accused
the province of five years of
financial mismanagement,
Mr. , Miller responded by
saying that if such was the
case in Ontario, then nine
other provinces were guilty of
worse :mismanagement.
' An Ottawa ,,,;.hospital
delegate said the minister
had to go further than public
meetings in attempting to
create a public awareness of
the situation. -
People, he said, have to be,
made fully aware of the cost
of care and the people
"It ' won't necessarily •be' ' abusing it somehow have to
true. All hospitals•are. seldom be identified.
equipped to deal with all Mr. Miller said that while,
emergencies. , ' the ministry did not like to see
"But if someone asks me if
I can weigh lives against
dollars, I can only say yes,
that's my job - to save as
many lives as possible with
the dollars available."
Mr. Miller maintained that
could not be specific on areas
'of the province to be affected
by the bed cutbacks, few
would escape. He said the
province would be hard
pressed," to stay within the
dollar limits.
Mr. Miller said over-all'
budget increases must ,be
held to 10 percht in the
coming year and because of
this situation "we will have to
apply some serious con-
straints to achieve this." The
over-all 1975-76 minis.try
expenditures, are forecast: to
be more than $3 billion.
He said Canada, and
Ontario have been drifting
toward "dangerous waters"
for a long time and that over
the past quarter century the
public has come to believe
that all that is necessary is,to
callon government to do
something an' Mt will be done
"if ,you call loud enough and
long enough."
He said that as Ontarip
developed, nobody questioned'
the obvious fact that they
cou,4rdn't have all the 'health
support services of a big .city
in every little village.
While the impossible was
accepted then. for what it was
— impossible =— today it is
demanded as if it were a
matter of routine, Mr. Miller
said.
"And government, federal,
provincial and municipal, has
provided it. Now that is, en-
ded.
"Now we have to tell people
that if they want more
money, they'll have to earn it.
Now we have to tell people
that just wanting a hospital in
a community, or a, special
service in their hospital, is
,not enough to justify it.
"From nowon," said Mr.
Miller, "it has to be needed:
And it has to be economically
feasible."
The health,. minister said
that sooner or later, perhaps
after a patient • dies
somewhere, someone is going
to ask how much a'human life
is worth.
Some people will say that if
the province hadn't closed
"such and such a hospital, or
amalgamated certain ser-
vices, the patient might have
lived," he said.
COUNTRY CLUB
BY BERYL HARPER
In the Provincial- Com-
petition, Phyl Durst',s team
won two out of three games to
qualify for our club's
entry.
The team 'consists of Phyl
Durst, skip, Lois Vanstone,
,vice -skip, Vicki Culbert,
second and Eleanor Fisher,
lead
They defeated Doris
Paquette's foursome. Other
members of this tearer are,
Penny Peters, vice -skip,
Faye Ribey second and
Barbara Hawkins, lead.
The district play offs are in
Listowel beginning January
5.
The Tuesday, afternoon draw
was completed December 16
and Eleanor Erskine's rink of
Hazel Beaver, Beryl Harper
and Barbara Hawkins, led
with 3.wins and a plus of 17,
Bern.ice Moore's team also
had three wins and a plus of
eight, as did Phyl �Durst's
team. Thesecond place went
to Bernice as she had, 23 ends
compared to, Phyl's 19: Doris
Paquette's team was 4th.
�► Those who are interested in
other SO'LCA competitions
should sign the .list on the
bulletin board or contact
Eleanor Erskine the
representative.
The Senior, Competition
entry should be named
shortly as the district event is
January 12,13 and 10 in
Cheslev. •
The - Business Girls
Playdowns begin January 30
A business girl is defined as
an evening curler, who i
working during the daytime.
Fa$te Ribey is making up
the new house -league draws.
Anyone wishing to join these
Tuesday 0- and Thursday
draws, anti have not been on
the first draw, should contact
her to have her name added.
-New draws are also being
prepared for the mixed
draws.
Last 'call. for the Pot -Luck
Mixed Jitney for Saturday,
December 27. All names must
be in for preparation of the
draw on December 26.
Call me if you still wish to
enter and the names of any
guests who also want to
s
compete. d'y
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d
ALLEN JOHN
JOHNSTON- MacKENZIE
These happy holidays come but once a
year with .a flurry of fun and good
cheer. It is our sincere hope" that this
"will continue throughout the year!
4cmvdg
AUT' GLA S LIMITED'
3 5 BAYFIELD RD. GoDERICH 524-2136
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people lose their jobs ,end hospital field, so attrition that several hospital in
would do everything it could itself might handle any staff Huron could be closed l:y the
to help them find altetaativ cutback. Ministry of Health soot, Dr
ones, there are about 12,0
job turnovers a year in tl
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Rumors have been cir- Miller still has not reltased
culating for sometime now this list to the public.
FROM
Sonny - Betty - Mike - Bob
ESV/f//
29._. KINGSTON
CHISHOLM T V
ST.
GOOERICN
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524-9576
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As families come together in love and warmth,';
we wish you and yours a most joyous
Christmas ---- hoping every delight of the Holiday
Season will be yours!
The Management and'Staff of
Captaiu Quoitteu
CLOTHIERS FOR MEN
ON THE SQUARE
Pott of /ocIEzicfi