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ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1970
Huron County Slash Health Budget
(by Shirley J. Keller)
Huron County Board of Health
Chairman Everett McIlwain and
his committee failed Wednesday
to get the necessary approval to
finance their .roposedpbudget
of $276, 306 for health purposes
in 1970.
Members of Huron County
Council had viewed the first
health budget in February. They
had turned it back to committee
for further study indicating that
costs were "too high" for rate-
payers in Huron County.
The budget was presented
again Wednesday at the March
session of county council, cut
by $2, 000., the funds allocated
for a summer assistant in the
field of public health.
After two hours and a clause
by clause investigation of the
health budget, county council
had trimmed an additional $25,
600 out of the budget including
all new program proposed for
1970 as well as some previously
approved program which had
still not been put in force.
New program deleted from
the budget included $4, 000 for
a geriatric nurse to deal with
the .problems of the aged, $4,
500 estimated for a public health
nurse to work exclusively with
addiction problems and $700
travellingexpenses fax these
two empoyees. It should be
noted that these salaries repres-
ent the costs for only part of a
year and that if the program
had been implemented, fuel
year salaries would have shown
up as an increase in next year's
health budget.
Also cut from the budget was
a proposed idea to hire another
public health inspector at $3,
500 (again representing only a
part -year salary;)an estimated
$1,100 travelling expenses for
that inspector; $5, 000 (part
year) for a public health dentist;
S4, 500 (part year) for a dental
hygienist; $300 travel expenses
for this dental team; and $2,000
for dental equipment.
GERIA TRIC NURSE
Dr. G. P. A, Evans told cou-
nty council members that a ger-
iatric nurse working in Huron
would counsel the elderly con-
cerning diet, health, recreation,
etc., arrange for them a liaison
with other agencies for which
they had need and provide, in
some cases, a vital likk with
the outside world.
"There have been many ex-
amples in recent weeks that the
value of such a person would
be more than amply justified. "
argued Dr. Evans.
Reeve Harold Robinson of
Howick said that with OHSIP
and the county's home for the
aged at Clinton, he could not
agree that Huron County was
neglecting its senior citizens.
Dr. Evans reminded Robinson
that elderly people should be
assisted to remain in their own
homes as long as possible.
"Old age should be as pleas-
ant and as free from worry as
possible, " Dr. Evans said.
Charles Thomas, reeve of
Grey noted that the $4, 000 item
in the budget for a geriatric
nurse didn't present a true pic-
ture of the costs. He said a full
year salary would amount to at
least $6, 000 plus travelling
expenses.
DRUG ADDICTION
James Hayter, reeve of
Stephen Township, asked Dr.
Evans if one of the public health
nurses presently on staff in the
county could not receive a
special course concerning the
problems of addiction, and
provide a service to Huron in
this capacity until funds would
permit this phase of the work
to become a full time position.
Dr. Evans said the board of
health had attempted last year
to send a nurse on course but
had been unsuccessful because
the course was full.
PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR
Huron County public health
inspector's came under close
scrutiny at Wednesday's session.
Noting that the budget called
for the hiring of two additional
public health inspectors, Stan-
ley Deputy -Reeve Anson McKin-
ley asked why the county had
need of "two more highly train-
ed inspectors within a year."
Dr. Evans explained that the
public health inspector depart-
ment had been grossly under-
staffedpuntil now. R.B. Cousins,
reeve of Brussels, told council
the county inspectors are doing
more work that was once a prov-
incial jurisdiction.
Harry Worsell, reeve of God-
erich and a plumber, questioned
whether it would not be wiser
for the county to employ retired
experienced plumbers as plumb-
ing inspectors rather than to
engage "these young fellows
right out of school" to inspect
plumbing jobs about which their
knowledge was limited.
He was told that a dual-purp-
ose inspector was deemed of
more value to the county.
Worsell argued that the county
two senior inspectors were "pretty
well full time" on plumbing
inspections now. The Goderich
reeve also suggested that the
inspections done in eating
establishments would be getter
done by a plumber who would
inspect the real germ source,
the drains etc., rather than
just taking a smear of the wash-
ed dishes.
In the health budget submitted
to council Wednesday, the
board of health had explained
that it had a "moral obligation"
to engage an inspector who is
presently taking a Public Health
Inspection course at Ryerson
sponsored by the Huron County
Health Unit.
Jack Alexander, Wingham
reeve said, "moral obligation
doesn't cut much ice with me.
If we haven't got a job for him,
if we don't need him, we have
no moral obligation to find him
a job."
As intelligent men, we should
delay this program until' our
financial situation is improved,"
remarked Seaforth Deputy -Reeve
Willner Cuthill.
"The line must be drawn
somewhere, " added AllanCamp-
bell, McKillop.
Reeve Derry Boyle, Exeter,
reminded council that the num-
ber of eating establishments in
Huron is increasing. Bayfield
Reeve Ed. Oddleifson said that
more building is going on and
therefore more inspections are
needed,
Seaforth Reeve John Flannery
said that if the present tight
money situation continues as it
is expected to do, the amount
of construction will drop sharply,
DENTAL PROGRAM
Reeve Bob Lyons of East Waw-
anosh told council that if a
public health dentist and a den-
tal hygienist were hired in the
county, it would cost upwards of
$25, 000 for a full year's oper-
ation for this service alone.
Tuckersmith Reeve Elgin
Thompson concurred.
"A dentist is far too expensive
a man to go from school to
school checking children's teeth
when a public health nurse
could do it, " said Thompson.
"Is this a full fledged dentist?
asked Anson McKinley,
"Yes, " replied Dr. Evans.
"It just doesn't make sense, "
McKinley continued. "To nye,
it is out of the question. If he
is qualified to set up practice,
then he would be doing more
for the people of Huron County
by assisting him to set up a
practice here.
Dr. Evans suggested that the
doctors who read TB chest X-
AtmREY RELLCHAIWEt TELLY TOE • • • .
ALL ABOUT BAYFIELD
INTERESTING HAPPENINGS IN ONTARIO'S PRE1T1IST VILLAGE
(intended for last week)
The regular meeting of the
Anglican Church Women was
held on Thursday, March 19
at 2:30 at "The Hut."
The meetingopened with the
singing of the hymn, "The Love
of Christ Constrained"followed
by the Members' Prayer and the
Lord's Prayer.
The annual meeting will be
held in London, April 20 and 21.
The next meeting will be the
Thankoffering meeting.
One minute was spent in sil-
ence in memory of Mrs. E.
Heard.
The meeting closed with pray-
er, after which tea was served.
Family visitors with Mrs. G.
Knight this week are Mr. and
Mrs. Art Latimer, Bill, Gil and
Christy of Toronto.
Mr. Renouf Johns of Mount
Clements, Michigan, spent
the weekend at his village home,
Members of Bayfield Youth
Club report that Friday's teen -
town dance realized a profit of
$18.
Miss Joyce McIlwain had the
misfortune to break a leg while
on a toboggan party with her
rays are not considered to be out
of the question just because they
are qualified doctors, nor is the
TB program considered a waste
because only a very small per-
centage of the persons screened
need medical attention for res-
piratory ailments,
McKinley could see no sim-
ilarity between the two, be-
cause, he said, "trained per-
sonnel are required to discover
respiratory trouble while most
anyone can identify a cavity in
a tooth."
Reeve R.B. Cousins said cav-
ities were not the only probleirs
discovered in a dental program.
Cases of mal -alignment, for
instance, are also caught in the
early stages.
" They ll tell you to see your
dentist, " stated Jack Alexander.
"In our district it takes four
months to get a dental appoint-
ment."
ppoint-ment,"
"It makes mare sense to at-
tract more dentists to the county
says Roy Pattison, Reeve of
West Wawanosh.
"I think we should grow into
this program gradually in view
of the tight money situation, "
advised James Hayter. "Maybe
the bursh-in program is all we
can do this year.
OUR GOAL THIS YEAR $3200
�.M
ICER
ith a check-up
and a cheque
CANCER / t,
EDUCATION .1;4-0
Ar
CANCER
WELFARE
SERVICES
CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
EXETER BRANCH
ZURICH CANVASS STARTS APRIL 6th �,.,
+»JF•
classmates from Holmesville
Public School. Joyce is present-
ly a patient in Clinton Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scotch -
mer and Mr. and Mrs. Herb
Beatty, of Toronto, returned
last week from a three week
vacation in Fort Meyers, Florida,
Further contributions to Clin-
ton Public Hospital Auxiliary
have been received from Mrs.
F.A. Clift, Mr. J,A. Cameron,
Mrs. George Mavor, Mrs. Arn-
old Makins, Mrs. George heard,
Mrs. Helen Cobb, Mrs. A. Tow-
ers and Mrs. J.E, Hovey.
Mr. and Mrs. Percy Renner
and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scotch:
mer visited Mr. Renner's mother
Mrs. Peter Renner in Wiarton
Hospital last Thursday.
CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
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