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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-05-28, Page 1Goderich doctors wit BY SHARON DIETZ Goderich doctors will be closing their of- fices Thursday and Friday this week to protest the government's proposed ban on extra -billing. Dr. Don Neal, Chief of Staff, at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital told the hospital's board of governors, Monday night that he expects all doctors at the hospital to withdraw all but emergency services for the two days. Dr. Neal said all the medical staff at the hospital endorsed the recommendation by the Ontario Medical Association to withdraw all, but emergency services for two days this week with the exception off two, one of which was not at the meeting to express his views. Dr. Neal' said the two days will be regarded as any weekend. Additional physicians will be on call to see any backlog of patients, who may come to emergency for treatment because the doc- tors' offices will be closed. Doctors will decide whether to come to emergency to see any of their patients or whether they will refer them to the doctor on duty at emergency. Inpatient care will remain the same. The medical staff is not planning any specific inpatient measures and care in the hospital will remain unchanged, said Dr. Neal. There will no elective surgery at the hospital for the two days but obstetrical patterns will remain the same as always. The OMA has also recommended that doctors back away from positions on hospital committees but this recommenda- tion has not been "fully elucidated" by the OMA and Dr. Neal supposes physicians would remain active on an ad hoc basis. Dr. Neal told the board -these decisions have been most difficult for the Goderich raw serv'z.ceS physicians as family doctors, because it flies in the face of their training and ex- perience. They had to struggle to find what would be an honourable decision, he said. Dr. Neal said he hopes the public will understand. how deeply the doctors feel about what the government is doing and he expressed profound apologies to patients on their behalf. He said the bill to ban extra -billing will alter the practice of medicine in this pro- vince. Doctors are being asked to serve as civil servants and will lose their in- dependence from the government. "It is the feeling of the medical com- munity in this town that the bill essentially co-opts physicians into a health insurance scheme by forcing them into the scheme." said Dr, Neal. "The implications are so disastrous that it must be oppose vehemently." The OMA proposed to eliminate extra - billing for emergency treatment, the elderly who live on fixed incomes and those' on social assistance. The OMA also proposed that a patient would be able to see an opted in physician in situations where there is a monopoly of opted out physicians. "The OMA tried to address the problems that were perceived and the government responded by ramming the legislation through despite increasing support for the doctors." observed Dr. Neal. As chief of the medical staff at the hospital Dr. Neal said he remains respon- sible for the quality of care at the hospital and essentially he remains an employee of the board. He said he will continue his commitment to see that quality remains the same as any day when doctors are away at a convention or whatever. Peace garden idea passed to Parks Committee V Though the Goderich administration and personnel conunittee would not financially support a peace garden in London, it has passed the idea on to the parks and water- front committee to consider planting a peace garden in Goderich. for financial donation to The request a ,,,,a,,..e. the peace gardens in Victoria Park in Lon- don came from Dr. Jim Hollingworth in a letter to council. He also asked if council had any plans`of its own to commemorate the International Year of Peace. "Perhaps maybe we can do something in Goderich. I'm very much for a peace garden as long as we stress peace within a democracy. We can have peace within a dictatorship too but we won't have our freedom," said Coun. John Stringer. Coun. Glen Carey commented on Str- inger's words saying, "Cour. Stringer just gave a definition of what gives rise to war." Carey stressed that since this year is the International Year of Peace, council should, do something to recognize the year. Coun. Bill Clifford said the ad- minstrative committee did not take the issue of the peace garden lightly when discussing it. "It's difficult to judge what organiza- tions we should make a contribution to so if there's a local society we have a closer rapport with, it's to that society we make a token contribution to, he said. "We hope there can be a project (for the International Year of Peace) no matter how small so that the thought would be there." Goderich IGNAL ST 138 YEAR - 21 Y GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, MAY rr, 1986 60 CENTS PER COPY e 1 MacDonald op ens training centre Federal Employment and Immigration Minister Flora MacDonald got a first-hand look at her ministry's largest Job'Develop- ment Program here and she was pleased with what she saw. The minister was in Goderich Thursday to officially snip the ribbon and open Cham- pion Road Machinery's technology training centre and view the Job Development Pro- gram of Employment Canada in action. Earlier in the day the minister spoke to a group of high school students in Exeter and she attended the Huron -Bruce Conservative Association annual meeting in Seaforth that evening. Champion's technology training centre, which is housed in a Gearco building in the industrial park, has been the focal point of the minister's EmOloyment Canada project which is providing training and long-term job skills for 118 people. Approximately $2.5 million has been allocated for the Champion program under five separate projects. After introductory remarks by Mike and Mark Sully, MacDonald officially opened the centre and commented that the retrain- ing program injected new life into many unemployed people and gave them a new skill and a. new chance. "It (the program) offers a permanent training facility for Champion and the peo- ple in this course are able to come in and learn new skills," she explained. "For me, this is obviously part of the new approach we are taking to improve the labor force market in Canada." ,, the e tr.."' g pent rP i►2acvonaid LULLfCU �� b with Champion officials and Huron -Bruce Turn to page 2 Councillors dispute account A motion to pay an underbilled account from the PUC was passed at the May 26 meeting of Goderich council but only after a few complaints by councillors. "When one receives a bill stamped 'Paid • in Full' does it not mean anything anymore? And, is the individual who made the mistake still with the PUC?" asked Coun. Stan Profit. "I thunk this reeks!" caul Con, Glen Carey. "Where does this bill stop. We've heard this bill is a result of human error so how do we know this bill is right?" he asked. The underbilled account of $3,741.03 for .hydro used by the police station in 1981 should be paid, said Clerk -Administrator Larry McCabe. -"They've'- consulted , with their .lawyer, and other PUCs and it should be collected. Our solicitor said it would be extremely difficult to argue the case for the town," he said. When the PUC overbilled the town and then reimbursed it, no one complained about that, said Deputy -Reeve John Doherty who agreed the underbilled ac- count should be paid. Employment and Immigration Minister Flora MacDonald marvel- ed at the technology available at Champion Road Machinery's new tcchne!ea., training centre as she toured the plant with Huron - Bruce MP. Murray Cardiff Thursday. MacDonald's ministry has provided $2.5 million in funds to help Champion establish the train- alth Unit drop Heoes to Hhealth care budget g is being asked to take a two weeks leave of Half of the absence without pay. And, if the health hospitals, says Dr. Cieslar pointing to the unit cannot make a four per cent wage set- latest $850 million grant by Health tlement with its employees, two to four Minister Murray Elston to Ontario week lay-offs of staff may result, says Dr. hosHuron Countytals. hwestern will get $100amillion incwhich Cieslar. "We're not planning on stopping any ser- will pay for 328 chronic beds and 37 acute vices. We're hoping the staff can rotate be with their leaves." "We're such a small business I suppose Out of a $10 billion budget for health care that the hospitals carry the day," he says. Y . . in Ontario, public health is allocated $140 The Huron County Health Unit has a million, which Dr. Cieslar says is the budget of $1 million to cover the various budget of one large hospital and "a drop in services it p sovides the en ounty such as pre - the bucket"of the whole budget. natal ing centre where 118 candidates are part of a 49 -week retraining program. Supervisor Glen Falkineeexplained the operation of the machinery to the minister. MacDonald visited South Huron Secon- dary Scheel in Exeter !+afore touring Champion's facilities here. (photo by Dave Sykes) is in financial crisis BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK The Huron County Health Unit is' in a financial crisis and may be laying off staff this year, says Dr. Harry Cieslar, Medical Officer of Health. "We're asking people to takeoeaves of absence but if not enough people them, we'll be looking at lay-offs. This is the first year we've ever been in this state. High technology 'is getting all the money while public health gets less and less," he says. The Huron County Health Unit employs approximately 50 people Each employee INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR 1 education and inspecting area restaurants, stores, pools and the lake for cleanliness and safety. "That's $22 for each person in the county—the cost of one case of beer. For a couple of cases,of beer more, we could be able to do so much more," he says. Brian McBurney, chairman of the Huron County board of health says the board feels that the province is being inflexible by freezing the budgets of both large and small health units at four per cent. "We're the smallest health unit in the Turn to page 5 Jud .e reserVeS decision in flsh.erans trial the ministry and BY SHARON DIETZ A provincial court judge has reserved judgement until June 4 in the case of a Goderich fisherman who has been charged with nine counts of exceeding his fish quotas in 1984. . Earlier Judge C.E. Perkins of Chatham dismissed a charge of using an illegal gill net last August against Ron Moody, 54, on the basis there was no evidence to indicate Moody was in charge of the fishing opera- tion, when the nets were seized by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Judge Perkins also said in his decision there was no evidence to indicate that accurate ex-' tension measurements were used to measure the size of the nets. Early ice a BY MIKE FERGUSON Ice was the lhot topic at the Recreation Board Meeting held last week, with several local groups pressing the early ice installa- tion issue. The annual Auto Show may be cancelled if the ice is put in at an earlier date, a proposal initiated by Donald Johnston of the Goderich Junior "C" hockey team, and sup- ported by Goderich Minor Hockey, the Figure Skating Club, Ringette and Broom - ball associations, and the Oldtimers Hockey Club. The Auto Show, previously scheduled for September 28, may have to locate an alter- native site if recommendations from a Recreation Board subcommittee are en- e Moody testified in provincial court here th Council of Co. Thursday that he only exceeded his quota sial Fishermen of Ontario that aimed at limits on various species of fish in 1984 on modernizing the fishing industry. the advice of his lawyer, Frank Montello of He said he understood a unanimous Vote Windsor. Moody said he was in Montello's was going to put fishing quotas on Lake Juste on Oct..Sit thatf the year,r .when Mr. Huron on an "equal quota" basis rather Justice E. E. Smith of Ontario supreme than a "past performance" formula. court made a ruling on an appeal launched Somehow, he said, the ministry prevailed by Moody and another fisherman against with the past performance system. the quota system. Moody bought his fishery in 1980 and he outcome of his meeting with his Montello was that the quotas wore off and quota was based on the past performance he could go ahead and fish. To that point, of that business which had been somewhat he hadn't exceeded his 1984 quota on any inactive in the previous years. species, he testified. \ He said he didn't think his quota alloca- Moody said he was aware of talks begin- tions were fair when fisheries that could ning in 1976 that ran into the 1980s between catch enough fishto operate profitably had • hot topic at reC board • them to hold an off-season school beginning September 6. °We can make this an mutual event," said Graham, adding it would be cancelled without the ice in early this year. Johnston offered the compromise of the seVen user groups renting boards for the s�uto Show to place on the ice. Meeting dorsed. The subcommittee is to work out the details of an early September, opening to ac- commodate several user groups. Donald Johnston argued an earlier ice time meant more opportunities for tryouts and tournaments. "I see it as a viable solu- tion for the arena," he says. Currently, the ice is put in October 2, meaning his team must practice at Huron Chairman the cardealers me Johnot like Doherty Park at increased cost, Johnston added thatboarde, he tryout time is very important "as some idea of using la ers don't show immediate prog're'ss. In addition, Board member Pat on geniis bMilton players need extra time" to prepare for the indicated citizen'sidizing industry )ohertyi Also, Brenda Graham of the Goderich responded by saying October 13 season opening. shouldn t be'su the Car dealers sponsor ice would be used to justify Figure Skating Club revealed the Canadian many hockey teainS now to the tune of $600. opening. Figure Skating Association has allowed The car dealers, who failed to send a Turn quotas more than 10 times the poundage allocated to him. Moody said he signed handwritten nota- tions on his fishing licences that he didn't agree with the allocated quotas and at the same time, took his,case to court. Moody testified that after the ruling by Mr. Justice Smith, ministry conservation officer Blake Evans told him the ministry officials were confused about the situation and he should go ahead and fish. Moody said he accepted Evans' advice e from though he had recei Ve'd a another ministry official stating that the ministry would continue to enforce quota regulations, including the procedures of Turn to page 6. meeting Soccer champs The GDCI senior Vikings won the Huron - Perth Conference soccer championship Friday be defeating the Exeter South - Huron Panthers. After finishing regular season play in first place, the local team defeated Stratford Central in the semi- final. Read about the action on page 10 A of this week's community section. representative to the meeting, wrote a letter to the Board and Town Council outlining their concerns if the Show was cancelled. Board member Ron Bushell said the dealers pay a large tax bill and offer good wages to its employees, making a contribu- tion to the Town. "What about the taxes of the audiences . . asked Johnston. The revenue generated from earlier installation ".far outweighs" the cost of keeping the ice in. M 070 a day to keep the ice in. Recrentien Director Jane Netike wanted to know, if Johnston Mid the others could guarantee the tiie early topage2 Lipizzaii stallions A sell-out crowd of over 1500 saw the Original Hermann Royal Lipizzan Stallions of Austria in two shows at the Goderich Arena on Sunday. See the magnificence of these animals captured in Susan Hundertmark's photos on today's community page section A. M. WOSSA winners GDCI competitors made a fine showing at the WOSSA Track and Field Champion- ships held in Goderich last week. The athletes who won medals will compete at the OFSAA Western Regional to beheld in London this week. See today's sports page inside the community section for details.