Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-17, Page 1New administrator BY JOANNE WALTERS A new administrator was chosen for Alexandra Marine .and General Hospital at a board meeting held last Thursday evening. Elmer Taylor of Exeter has been chosen over 32 other applicants to take the place of former administrator Jim Banks who resigned earlier this year: Taylor has been the Exeter hospital ad- ministrator for five years and prior to that he was in the grants department with the Ministry of Health. He is married with one daughter and will be moving to Goderich to start his job which goes into-effeet -September •15: • r'ik--e- er--ted The threat of Huron County schools not opening this fall because of a custodial strike has ended. About 50 custodians and maintenance workers ratified a two-year agreement here Sunday afternoon. The members of Local. 210 of the Service Employees Union have been without a contract, since May 31. Tony Borg, union international represen- tative, said Monday an agreement was reached after four meetings with Huron County board of education representatives. He said the differences centred on wages. Although complete details of the contract are yet to be released, Borg did say the new agreement contained a . "major breakthrough" in the form of a cost of living clause in the second year of the contract. The custodians have never had a cost of living clause before, he said. Woman remanded BY JOANNE WALTERS Bertha Ann McCullough, who has been charged with second degree murder in con- nection with the death of her son Christopher has been remanded in custody until August 21 at which timeshewill appear in.Provincial .Court_ . here. Mrs. McCullough, 28, of 55 Pauline Crescent,'.. London and formerly of Goderich was charged August 1 and returned to Godericlhfrom London August 2. She was then taken to Walkerton jail and appeared in Provincial Court in Wingham last Wednesday morning. Mrs. McCullough, her husband David and sons Michael David and Christopher, resided at 48 St. Patrick Street in Goderich. She and her two-year-old son Christopher were taking an afternoon nap when a fire was reported at the McCullough home. Mr. McCullough was at work and Michael David was away. The fire, reported in 1974 to be of un- determined origin, was under investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal's office. Christopher had been found dead in his crib People can help keep doctors in town BY 9HIRLEY J. KELLER Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer and Councillor John Doherty got approval Monday evening for their motion to advertise immediately in the medical journals for doctors to locate in toderich. But Dr. Brian Lynch, the Huron County MOH who left general practice in Goderich last fall to take the county post, feels that the people of Goderich and area who are the patients here will have to develop a new attitude toward their medical men if they want the doctors to come and to stay. "The people, when they have doctors, should respect them," Dr. Lynch said. "They should remember that the same people staff the doctors' offices, work in the emergency department at the hospital, deliver the babies and visit patients in hospital. They are called out all over the place day or night in any weather." According to Dr. Lynch, he couldn't believe how "peaceful all of a sudden my life became" when he left private practice last fall. "Now when the telephone rings it is usually for my wife and I enjoy answering the telephone," he laughed. MANY CALLS, TOO Deputy -reeve Palmer told council Monday •-e•v ing•-she-h•as-had--man-y-tel h e-ea•lls-€rem distraught citizens who just don't know where to turn for medical attention. "There are just not enough doctors to go around," said Palmer. She suggested that the town should "offer some assistance if that assistance is required" to attract a doctor to Goderich. The fact is there probably aren't enough doctors in Goderich to handle the patient load. Dr. Lynch said the province recgrnmends one doctor to every 600 persons. In that cease there should be about 12 doctors to serve the population of Goderich, and probably five, more, considering the patients, From the district, as well as the summer tourist load. Instead there are four doctors in active practice in Goderich at the present time - Dr. David Walker, Dr. Bruce Thompson, Dr. James Hollingworth and Dr. Mario"Cauchi, Dr. Kenton Lambert and Dr. Michael Watts are also in practice in Goderich, but they are not considered family practitioners but con- sulting surgeons. Dr. William Watters carried a limited practice and . Raymond Flowers of Clinton is available as a consultant. In recent months, Dr. Roy Lomas has left active practice in Church St. Medical Clinic, and while he does take a regular shift at the emergency department of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, he does not have an office or see patients regularly. __Dr:._Barry_Licathe-an,d_Da:._IJarr-y Cies-lar-brave ___ also left Church St. Medical Clinic where Dr. Lynch was in practice. The death of Dr. John the derich Wallace this summer left another vacancy which hasn't been filled. As well, the practice of the late Dr. Dorman Jackson was never taken over by anyone new. There are doctors from the city in the emergency department at the hospital for the summer months, and Dr. Yvonne Verbeeten is filling in this month for Dr. Cauchi who is on vacation. DOCTORS RELUCTANT At _the council meeting, Mayor Deb Shewfelt said problems at the local hospital, and the threat of beds closing would have an adverse effect on doctors who might otherwise consider relocation in Goderich. "Doctors are nervous people," the mayor observed. Dr. Lynch says that the biggest problem with doctors all over the province is that "they are not enjoying practice". He said doctors may have the respect of some of their very own patients, but they are not revered by govern- ment and they are not revered by the press. "When you hear something over and over again, you begin to believe it," Dr. Lynch said, noting the adverse publicity given to doctors in recent years. . Dr. Lynch had the highest praise for the emergency department at the local hospital, •sayj g-it-vyes- ceeitentservice.:•__._W____.._._�. "It functions almost like a city emergency department 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "It is almost too good with the manpower that has to run it." He explained that the problem is com- pounded by over-anxious patients who make an appointment with one of the local doctors for three weeks hence. The patient doesn't want to wait that long, so goes to the emergency department where theAdottor is called from his office. Ultimately, thar puts the doctor behind at his office and slows down the service to some Other patient. But Deputy -reeve Palmer believes that even though doctors are in short supply in Goderich, people here are still getting sick and are in need of medical attention. She said it was council's responsibility to make some effort to attract some doctors to Goderich and her motion to advertise for doctors to come here passed easily. Gets car allowance An in -town car allowance for Clerk Larry McCabe of $50 per month was approved Monday evening by council. Reeve__ Rill Clifford said he 'was personally satisfied that McCabe is "out of pocket" because of the additional expenses he_has_while_,driving, aroundtownon municipal business. "No one on this council would do it," said Clifford. IGNAL STS- R 131 YEAR -33 THURSDAY. AUGUST 17. 1978 30 CENTS PER COPY own to pay skunk trappers BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER It, was unanimous. Town council agreed to a man(woman) that skunks in Goderich need to be controlled and that bounty hunters are the best people to rid the community of its smelly squatters. No one really called it bounty hunting. But that's what it amounts to. Council readily accepted.the offer of trappers Ronald and John Glazier to dispose of skunks -humanely -at $10 per head. The men who have their trappers' licences, will set their traps at the homes of consenting residents between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am. They say their traps will not be a danger to family pets, either. rr� The town will pay the bill. There was some suggestion that homeowners should pay all or a portion of the cost to have their properties rid of skunks, but that idea was vetoed. Clerk Larry McCabe said it would be an administrative nightmare to deal with the problem in that manner, and one citizen who attended Monday evening's meeting feared that residents might not ask to have their skunks removed if they thought they would have to pay for the service. "We don't hesitate to spend $1,000,000 on a runway or on a highway," said Councillor John Doherty, who supported the move for the town to pay the trapping bill. Doherty said skunks in Goderich are -'up in the hundreds now" and there are "a lot of concerned citizens". Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer concurred, and referring to a story in last week's,Signal-Star about the problem, said "In no way shape or form is the skunk problem like a rat or mice problem." Reeve Bill Clifford agreed with Councillor Elsa Haydon that the town should check the legal ramifications of paying trappers to catch the skunks. Clerk Larry McCabe will get in• touch with the town's solicitor and the town's insurance agent to determine the respon- sibilities of the town in the event that something unforeseen should happen while the skunks are beingtrapped on private property. Only a handful of people attended council about the skunk_ problem. One observer said skunks had been reported at the Kinsmen Park sandbox and on The Square in broad daylight. Council received a letter from another citizen who feared that skunks with rabies could spread the disease to 'family pets who might then infect children and adults. "If it's a health problem, the Huron County Health Unit should be involved, like it is for polio," said Councillor Elsa Haydon. It was reported, however, that the county medical officer of health won't get involved until rabies is proven to bea problem. Huron MOH plans September immunization clinics BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER The immunization clinics in Goderich are continuing this week at the Huron County_ Health Unit: They are planned for every day - Monday through Friday - from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Just a5 soon as stocks of vaccine are replenished, probably by mid-September, Huron County Health Unit clinics will be re-,. opened in Goderich to ensure that every adult who wants to be 'vaccinated against polio and tetanus will have ample opportunity to do so. Dr. Brian Lynch, Huron County Medical Officer of Health, said this week the health unit has supplied vaccine to all family physicians in the county. People getting their immunization from doctors in their offices will be covered by the Ontario Hospital Insurance program. However, those persons who choose to go to an emergency department at any one of the local hospitals will likely be billed for the service. Dr. Lynch said that unless the Ministry of Health has waived the ruling because of the polio scare in the province, OHIP will not pay for immunization shots given in hospital. The most economical way to be innumized, of course, is through the local health unit. People are reminded this service is free but it is not a hand-out. The service is provided pre -paid since the Huron County Health Unit is funded through provincial tax dollars as well as through Huron County tax dollars. Dr. Lynch said he had been advised by the Ministry of Health there is "no need" to operate the immunization clinics in Huron County since the risk factor for Huron residents is low in relation to the polio outbreak in Oxford County. Still, Dr. Lynch feels there is a definite need for the people of Huron County to be up-to-date with their immunization protection, and believes that because. of the Oxford County situation, people all over the province are suddenly interested in immunization. "We have a captive population at the.. moment," reasoned Dr, Lynch who, wants to grab this opportunity to get people immunized. Stocks of the Salk vacbine as well as the tetanus vaccine are running low due to mass immunization job which is going on at the present time in Ontario. At the moment, the . health unit is using a "structure of priorities" to ensure that those persons at high risk have access to the vaccine right away. Some of these priorities are age, previous immunization record and the degree of risk of exposure. "A nurse, for instance, working in an emergency ward at a hospital is at greater risk than some others," explained Dr. Lynch. "Or someone at 50 years of age with no previous immunization record is at greater risk than someone who was immunized at some time in his life." Dr. Lynch says that, for people who have never been vaccinated against polio or tetanus, a series of three shots, one month apart, is necessary. For people who have had the originalseries, only a booster shot onceevery fiveyears is required. The MOH said that while there is not one case of polio in Huron County at present, and the likelihood of one being identified is remote, immunization for the entire population is vital. "It doesn't have to be this week, though," said Dr. Lynch. "I'm just hoping people won't forget about it. That's why we're operating clinics in September once the supply of the vaccine has been replenished." Joy Mahon, 0, of Goderich, bravely stood for her polio inbculatlon last Friday at the Huron County courthouse while her mother Karin held her reassuringly. Joy's three-year-old sister Susan kept a watchful eye as Public Health Nurse Becei Burton applied the needle, and then interrogated Joy as to whether or not the whole operation hurt. The two girls were among hundreds of people who lined up for the three-hour clink in Goderikh, prompted by, a recent outbreak .of half-dozen cases of polio in Oxford County. (Photo by Jim Hagarty) This was the scene outside the Huron County courthouse on Friday afternoon as a line-up of people awaiting their polio inoculations continued from the time the clinic opened at 1: 30 p.rn, until it was due to close three hours later. Though area medical experts have stated there is no need for alarm following the discovery of six polio cases in Oxford County, 'a good many 'people weren't taking any chances. (Photo by Jim Hagarty) AIK.310111140