HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal Star, 1976-04-01, Page 4PA
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4 -GOp:RICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY,APRI
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I; -1,-676
DEAR READERS
Would anyone like , my job?
Would anyone like the task of
"writing: ,h•ansi-hitting,,.
iliumi>laating editorial corn-
rne.nt„ week . after week
without :stepping on toes or •
getting too. controversial?
Who out there would careto
tackle. the smorgasbord ; of.
material of .local concern this
week and come up with 'a
sparkling piece' of writing,
full`, of wisdom . and truth,
overflowing. »with facts and
revelations?
Its quite an order for an'
ordinary person to ••fill. ,If
,.' there are any takers, just'call
me at the office Thursday or
Friday.. You can have your
day in the editor's chair.
There's just- one stipulation
.,... you have to stick around to
take .your' lumps when the
paper goes on the street. This
is no.hi»t-and-run.assigninent.
No nom de- 'heroes allowed
here. You write it ' ,., you
stand by it. .
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The subject this week is.
hospitals Huron hospitals in
particular. And if you think .
\•that's a simple subject, . a•
black •and white.',issue;.:thi-nk
again. The .hospital question
here is about as complex as
yoa> re go.Ln�g ta,find this'week:
ll tt-ori-441;1...�. .;€ .. oma.
i4.
Bg Shirleg K Iler
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unit, subje',p.t'tev the. approval :this must be qualified by : Stratford General Hospital
efthe'provincial government; someexplanation, got ' interested and . cocas-
$8,000 from Seaforth and the If the number .of hospital missioned what... has now
promise of bed cuts at Exeter beds in Huron was set only : come to be known • as the,
plus "tangible support from, according to' .numbers::•of Agz�ew•;Peckbam: report. It is
-Go'derich. in attaining' .a •persons•'residing$in Huron, understood that`all hospitals.
community 'health centre,' 'then Huron may not be' over- : ip Huron -Perth that were part.
Not'realty what one could call bedded. But hospital beds can ofthe report; paid for the
a rosy picture.
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only be justified according to,. report-
the percentage of the • That report was +a studyto
population; needing hospital determine ways means in
care who make use of Huron w hioh hospitals in Huron
Across the county of Huron hospital facilities. " '''Perth could work together for
there is a great. hush. It seems - In otherwords,. whenever a •a more efficient, less costly•
that people everywhere a•re. Goderich citizen decides to go• provisiion of adequate •
holding their breath, won- ' to ..London ' for a surgical hospital services in thearea.
dering•what will happen next. • procedure which could-' be= That document, by the'way, is .
Will the psyche unit be ap= , done locally, it is becoming widely.. ' by hospital
proved foe Clinton'" ;Will . more: difficult, for Alexandra administrators Who generally
Clinton be able to remain Marine and General' Hospital feel there is a need for ;the
open with at least a corn- . •to justify ' a bed'in that amalgamation of 'services •`
munity health centre to serve facility. • among hospitals.
the needs of that community? There seems' to be general This newspaper has
Will the fiva hospitals be'able . agreeme-nt • arriong ad- previously reported. that in
to agree on safe and sensible ministrators, too, that Huron the Agnew -Peckham 'report;
ways to cut $80Q,000 from the County- hospitals could strong recommendations
Huron hospital budget, Over . provide 90 to 95 percent of all were made regarding Clinton .:
and above that sum -,nearing hospital care -required by ' and Exeter hospitals. Clinton'
$145,000 - already lopped off citizens. in Huron County. was perhaps the,hardestdhit,:
the Seaforth and Goderich Actually, • the hospitals here . for the Agnew -Peckham
budgets? Or will - the are providing much less than report Made reference : -to
provincial government be that: Wingham looks after Clinton's need for a major
pursuaded toreconsider, its 34:8 percent of• persons in. building program if facilities
edict te Clinton? • Wingham; Goderich, • 71.2 there were. to be maintained.
As if that wasn't enough to percent; Clinton, 62.6 per- and updated. There was also
worry .over, now it appears cent; Seaforth,' 61.5 percent; definite indication that short
„:. that Huron County Council, ,and Exeter, 38.2 ,percent. of a capital project at Clinton,
wants to get inVo1 ed. Country' • These. are 1974 figures from..:affiliation., with.., another
elected officials 'are waiting the five Towns. only.' hospital would be wise. There
now for:confirmation that the rt ca" --n eadTly-be seen then, —was: even -a -suggestion that—_
Y- rnm-cnt•• Las arripoku-er�e.d that tf- uxQ.a,F q citizens Falun_ ,either of these options
tfilemT to` "' �-i5Y"dliitte"-'th --arc- .. „Y``,.-� '.§7 .un
r bet a Fav :•.: t, ,rr,., so`r%taT m hT•'"or3e � - .
hospital dilemma here. and". their hospitals, the very first day be closed. • -rte"� ` "'"""""""""
bring Larder out of chaos. . • . thing .they . must . all do is• . Well, that:wwas five' or six
It is highly unlikely that the utilize the hospital services years ago. And today, the fact
.provincial. government will provided here for•them: This that Clinton, hospital 'is" in•
give any such power to Huron ` is.not advocating a' rush on need of extensive renovations
County 'Council, or even the etxtergency wards. has become a real 'and'
Huron's Board of Health: The There's quite enough' of .that..:troublesome consideration.
•"province pays the_ shot -for „It means that' when a woman for this county. The facility is'
:hospitals in ; Ontario, the has a- hy-sterectomv,, `for Mk: -
_..;on, the brink ,of. closing.and
- pi"ov-mc-e =wi-11 u -,t doute:d.l:y _-stare e,rshe hay»e it donehere.
-thou h Huron residents are
continue to...call the, shots When, a child needs. a hernaa rallying • around :the C13nton -
the :Hub of 1•iuron Goupty.is-
fighting for its 'very life. Hon..
Frank . Miller, > Minister of
• Health, .•has'ordered Clinton
hospital to either close its.
doors or find -some other: way,
tt cut $800,000 from the.
hospital budget to ffiuron
That s a large slice of'-trroney�.
arty man- s language 'and
Clinton: .hospital board- is -
Working
s
working, feverishly to . find
ways . to keep. the facility:
'o ens. -
P
- The Clinton board has
asked the'four other hospitals :
in Huron io come to their aid
by sta5f an:d..beds alll.
over the county ' to . keep
Chilton alive. »Wingham gave.
a flat no; Seattirthriffered-to-
cut $100;000 from their budget
but that 'figure includes,. -.it
appears, the' $92;000. Frank
Miller ordered . cut from the
Seaforth 1976 hospital budget,
realizing only an $8,000, (one
percent) offering toward, the
Clinton effort; Exeter offered
. to cut some beds, 'but it still
isn't'clear that hospital will
'.;co-operate . further, by 'also
cutting staff and budget; and.
'Goderich, reeling , from ' a
$50,000 budget cut in 1976, has ..
suggested the government be
o Larged to move -a 20 -bed,
psychiatric unit to Clinton.'
• That. psyche unit had »been
promised -to Goderich under
the AM' & G board, but
Goderich hospital 'authorities
feel this would be an ad-
ministrative nightmare at the
unit's proposed.location in the
former Goderich Psychiatric.,
Hospital and have' reasoned.
•the'•psyche unit would better
serve the people of . thi-
county if it were located
centrally, in Clinton. What's
mare, Goderich•has gone on
record as pledging •tangible
support to a community
health centre for Clinton,with
emergency: facilities in-
cluding a lab, x-ray and six to
10 holding beds,
. This week, Clinton hospital
board indicated' that. if the
provincial 'government ap-
proved.Goderich's suggestion
to move the. psyche unit t�
Clinton, it would be accepted.
• Clinton hospital board is to be„,
commended for..,this positive
, step forward in the_face of
• • what many have construed as
a.negative step backward.
At best, the' situation as'
outlined at this present time
'leaves Clinton with a psyche
where' hospitals are.' con- corrected, it be 'handled , cause: there , is".little anyone'
cerned: To .do 'other -wise-' -locally. When Unc1e.Jae has -a .. can ,':do'but ..offer ;weak; and 'Wrong mffrNnf,N_
would'be to set a dangerous- heart attack, he be inadequate suggestions about
recedent in the county which hospitalized here. You get the howDear Editor:
P best to save it,
by .,,the way.; has been : picture. Supposing $800,000 could be I read with' some interest
dragging its feet when , it. , Many citizens - this ,Writer •saved in all '`of Huron, the the recent; editorial "Whoconies to district 'health' ,amongthem-- hasnotreallzed •
-solution would be'.,an interim. 19.76). In
councils and similar, moves to the urgency in using local' measure, the need for° major -;'s piece; of writing, the
alter the systet i .o£_prov_i, lasg hospital facilities to the'construction. would still apply author cleverly, deducted all
health care inHuron. maximum. With -1 complete ., -dna Clinton -hospital, now of the people of Canada until
But should government •andrenow»ed medical centre' ossibl ,'oined by. four othei ' only two remained' "to do• all
give -Huron 'County Council . like :,London ,'just Ir/.2•hours hospitals '`would be in an • the; work:'.
the powerto order health away, why- stop off' at the„ even more ' 'precarious . k-Iowever, one point. in' the
priorities for: this • area - if, -• local hospital where you (the_. position when hospital . article tends to be.
indeed, it is legally possible to patient.) • pay . the same ,budgets are set out in 1977. . misleading. There are not, a5
the writer suggests, :half a
delegate such power • to. amount (not true) fora lesser » -,
county council. - then mem service-(open"for debate). * * * million men in the Canadian
bers of county council will..be Local hospitals, then, must 'Forces. -Our peacetime levels
in for . one of the 'biggest, begin a campaign to acquaint Jack Riddell, Huron- were last that high during the
headaches' they have ex- the' hospital .services cont- Middlesex MPP made' an Post World War Two era.
perienced in `.man'y long sumer with. the truth that eloquent speech in" the Presently there are 78,000
years: It is fairly safe to..hospital care in Huron Legislature in early Mar -ch. regular troops serving•in the
assume,.that ,af least; four if 'hospitals Costs less than in the Highlights. of` that speech Canadian Armed Forces.
not five hospital' in cities. The cost" doesn t come. were prepared for publication. Added : to. this are 30,000
Huron will be hostile toward directly out of the patient's in tills newspaper butts.this Reservists. This makes a
county council's interference pockets,'. but in a round about time, space has riot permitted grand total .@f 108,000;' con -
in a' situation about, Which way 'it winds up as his ex to optica:. siderably less than the
they are really not equipped •pense through taxation andIn his speech; Mr. Riddell previous figure.
to make decisions. OHIP premiums or even lost.. made some claims' for Clinton • (for exhausted ,author.;will
• revenue in lieu " of. Public Hospital which 'coul, be. comforted 'to know that
County council would' -the
payments by . have been misleading for' there are now 392,002 to do
certainly attempt to make . the employer., £hose who heard,him .;. and the.work" (whatever it'is).
itself aware of all aspects of ' They 'must also work to might even have upset some Sincerely yours,
the health care situation in convince •14Dcal ''health care of the other hospitals. in the - John Mombouryliette.
Huron .and to do that, council 'consuzners- that adequate Riding had they been present
would very likely tut:ri up care for by far the vast at Queen's Park that day.
some of the disturbing in- majority of medicalneeds, No onedisputes that Clinton`
formation which this writer can be provided right:
herein hospital has provided ex -
discovered in the course of Huron County., cellent •service for many ibng -
researching this piece. It is.
also :likely .that even more''
damagingnevidence could be `•,
raised within Huron hospital /T�he 'handwriting has been
on the wall for several years roles in the -communities they
now. The government of this; serve.
province hasbeen, saying in '
many differl ways that.
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circles regarding the current
restraint . program as it ef-
fects Huron. :4
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While preparing this ar-
ticle, every hospital ad-
ministrathr in the county -of
Huron was' polled for general -
opinions •about a'.variety of
subjects, all pertaining •to
hospital care in Huron
County. .. �...
There was general
agreement that Huron County.
is over -bedded but even
Apphruffs »courtly
a.wayLand:ieturned_-the -text
` This seenis to indicate that,
there could not-ilaye- been a
• case of genuine emergency in
the first place and it would
• have been better for everyone
concerned• had Mr. Martin
visited his'doctor's-office forr=-
•treatment.
The -use of emergency
departments for Convelaience •
(the patient's or the doctor's)
adds much to the hospital...
costs which have recently
caused such 'upheaval.
2. I am glad to see that a
..�:,•.,rpicewx+f+once, .` .-„-a;+w,.>,«.mrcevnYr,.'+.�,. .
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newcomer, Mr. G.K. Doyle, is
interested in, becoming in7., Thunk you;
volved in. con'imunity ac-. -
tivities,. but I regret to see Dear Editor, >
that. several montths. .0 f - ..,._,Thank_ _ou '-for`your” kind'
v -a" a6le -ti di.Twer.r/r. - --i
a ••i -i .1
c of • March 18;
while he waited for 'someone.. "Husband, wife team display
to ask` him to participate. their art". Wehope that other;
Please do get in touch with a-': artists will display -their -work
'group of your interest choice . inr =the. Goderich 'Public
or start•one by, contacting out . - Libraryand that .the .'Signal-
Recreation Director at 524- . ' Star : will accord therm the
8373: This is my appeal to all same attention.
newcomers. There are Thanks-a•ga.in_
always things to be done, , : • R. Walker,
panic-ularlyin the field --6f B. Katzin,
cul-tural .activities. Do not RR 3; Blyth
wait, offer your help, ONLY YOU CAN �`
'Yourssincerely; GIVE- THE GIFT ,-'
Elsa•Haydon ' • . 60 LIFE!
,_-- ti
DIiORIAt COMMENT
n ,o r • needs
(fur wa �s �. .
When Hon. Darcy McKeough ad-'
dressed a regional• meeting of
municipal. officials in Wingham',a few
weeks ago hd°made it clear, in very few -
words, that the provincial govern
and district Dear Editor menti fiscal .• would change He
years 611 Clinton
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ut sa have the other four :With `all the pressures of
hospitals been equally, inflation, the ability of Huron -,
diligent in - playing out their •.County -Council and their
sweeping .chs ges ' in the
healthcare system are in the
offing for Oritario. Until just
recently, too many persons
involved with the provision of
health services in Huron have
ignored the government's
urgings.
The government has been
.talking • about• the
amalgamation of -health .-care
services for years.- At one
point in time. about 1969-70,
A
I at
�hc Oobtrich
SIGNAL—STAR
- The County Town, Newspaper of- Huron -O
Founded in 1848 and publisheit every„Thursday at Ooderich,.Ontar(g;,Member of the CWNA and
OWNA. Advertising rates an'request: Subscriptions payable in advance 611.00 in Canada, 912.50
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reque.st, Please ask for Rate..Card No. 6 effective Oct. 1, 1975. SOcond class mall Registration
Number 0716. Advertistng'ia-accepted on the. condition.that;in the event of typographical errors
the'advertising spice .occupied by the erroneous Item, together with reasonable allowance for -
signaiiure; wtiitot 'beeharge'd for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the
applicable rata. In the event Of '41 typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong
price, goods or service may ndt'be sold, Advertising ie merely an offer to sell, and may be with-
dS•a*u"•at any time. The Signal -Star le not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited
manuscripts or photos, •
tarifiiliii Siadii illllio 1st Office
I E EPRONE s24 -0b31
area : dodo. 519
MtlU6fig Address:
P.6,. cox 341, clod
Efibedd Chem mai) feceilittraaiiotl'
Published- by Signab.S:tar Publishing Lid: »'
•ROS -ERT G: SHRIER-•-presidenf ald'publicher.
*SHIRLE'Y:7, KELLER-editor
JEFF SEDDON;=editorial staff ,
DAVE ,SYKES-editoriail staff
tlirich , EDWARD .l, BY'RSKI--adverfising fnanag,-;•
titin lbe,-.016
Clinton,•for instance, is not
the only hospital in the county
with . a functioning ' remote
. cardiac. monitor and
resuscitation team. In fact, .
information •gathered this
week indicates that all
hospitals. in F iron with the -
exception. of Seaforth, has
this; equipment known .to Joe
• Gannon fans as a "crash
cart” and the staff to man it.
Similarly, all hospitals in
the county perform surgery •
major- and minor. All.
hospitals • , can treat
liemophilia victims. This isn't
peculiar to Clinton. , • ' -
Mr. Jtiddell made some
vital points in his' presen-
tation to the Legislature. One
" of the mostvalid was;; his
reference to the fact that
community-based hospitals
have been a source of con-
siderable pride and the object
of-. more charitable -support
than ttiost other institutions in
the various towns.
``People have supported
these hospitals with sub-
stantial gifts during their
lifetime •fend .;even by tffeir
wills, some to the. exteht of
their - 't£ntire estate," Mr'.
Riddell observed, He termed
the government's Move to
close community hospitals as
"regre'ss ion...analysis'" - "the
erosion of the faith and self-
(corttiiiued,oti page5
various departments they are
• responsible : for; to provide
excellefft. government. -and .
Services is,remarkable. Our
road system is excellent and
by all appearances efficient. -
The other .departments seem
also'�to give good service and
waive :'
As if this weren't enough
they also seem to have vision.
and convictions as to what the
future should hold for this.
county:
Puerhaps 'the ;Board of
Education could ' take note•:
,They. seem to have developed
a' completely different
Philosophy in their operation,
and -the results ,are not irh-
pressive from either a cost or.
quality standpoint.
• There is something• sym-
bolic about their policy of .i
•Iiteraily betting the' grass
grow under their feet., At any
rate ,they needn't. look far for
gttod.eitairri.ple to follow:
Gorge Robertson.
1:0`01 reipolf e;l
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DearEditor '.
, T' would like to respond to
two letters,ihyour. lastl,weck's
paper: •
1, Mr. • C.D. Martin of R.R.
2. -Goderich, sounds quite
indignant because he had to . ,
wait solong one morning at
the Emergency .Department
of the Alexandra Marine and
General Hospital that he went
s Isco po Icy ou c g•
said there would be ample money for,
what we need but' not enough for
everything we want.
The 'difference . between our
legitimate needs and our luxury -
minded wants is precisely the dif-
ference between ruin and. progress.
Through the past two or three decades
a whole generation. of Canadians has
reached maturity, 'married, and ...
become parents of new families. Most
of these younger: people have scoffed at;
the older generation, the people who
lived through and somehow survived
,,the »great depression of the Thirties.
What these younger folks have failed to
realize is that any person who learned
the lessons' of those grin -i. years can
never forget them. Yes, :they are the
people who cannot bear to waste food,
to leave unnecessary lights burning;
,the ones who crab about cars that fail
to deliver adequate mileage on a gallon
of gasoline. They are the same ones
who expect a suit of clothes to last for
more than one year and who believe
that there: is something unholy about
.giving less than theirbest efforts for a
day's .pay:.
Out of style as these folks may be,
unless their sense of values is, un_
ders-tood• by a majority - of younger
people there isno way our country can
emerge'tronti the suicida4 corkscrew of
inflation. Millions' of younger
Canadians will have to learn that a'
family can survive and evert- behappy
withdut a second car; that•"a,..„hfiiday
spent painting the house or'diggitig th'e
flowerbeds can be nearly as much,fun
as two weeks in an expensive Iakes.ide
cottage. We can trim our sails .without
feeTIng unbearable pain. ,
Governments, too, will have to start .
practising what they so glibly preach.
No sane countrycan afford the vote
buying. handouts that have been thrown
around in Canadafor the.past'20 years.
Think of the • millions that could be
saved by payino old age pensions to
those people who really. need it and
cutting off those who don't —.and the
same with baby bonus cheques. •
Take a long'.1ook at the additional
Millions handed out in Local- Im-
provement grants and Opportunities
-tor,Youth programs. Certainly some of
this largesse is spent on .worthwhile
causesbut one heck of a lot • is frit-
-' tered away on silly projects that do
nothing.' more than keep somebodyoff
the list' of. unemployed - which is the
government's chief motive in the first
place.. Government interference in business
has • proven to be . one of the most
virulent 'forms of 'inflation -building in
the land. For example, the government,
decrees that no employer can lawfully
permit a worker to be on the job mord:.
than a given number of hours in any -
week and that theemployer mUst ,pay
him for so many weeks holidays every ”
year ... despite the fact that a man or
woman Who needS the money might be
very glad to work the, extra hours. •
Every time government dictates an
additional cost of, production to ern-
- players the price of some product has.
to 'be• increased.
It's high time we returned to an
attitude of common sense.• The
alternative is an economic collapse
which wilf'make the Dirty Thirfiies look
like a Sunday School
—Wingham. Advance -Times.'
.014.34.k •