The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-12-18, Page 2Page 2 – Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, December 18, 1996
Primary centre removes physicians' tools
•from page 1
for those in Wingham and
area. "We would end up as
a primary care centre."
None of the options
have been costed by the
DHC. "Obviously they
will save some money, but
they haven't taken into
account that human
resource criteria," said
McBride.
"People are going to die
with these three options,"
said Ritchie. These
options spell a death sen-
tence to Wingham and
District hospital and to the
community."
She said that to lose a
financially sound hospital
and he put through this
chaos for a two per cent
saving in the total hospital
budget is not acceptable.
Sleeth told the crowd
that in all of the DHC
options where Wingham
becomes a primary care
centre, "It effectively
removes the tools the
physicians need to effec-
tively practice medicine. if
someone is an anesthesiol-
ogist, a surgeon or pro-
vides obstetrical services,
when these tools that they
need to work with are
gone, so is the physician."
He said doctors who pro-
vide those kinds of ser-
vices are not going to
remain in a community
where they cannot provide
them. "So we are effec-
tively looking at losing the
vast majority of our physi-
cian population here per-
manently.
Sleeth said the govern -
Health services study
ment is fooling everyone
if they think they're just
going to bring in a pool of
physicians to replace the
ones that are already here.
"Right now with the ser-
vices that we are able to
provide, we have a diffi-
cult time getting physi-
cians to rural communi-
ties."
The doctor urged every-
one to make their displea-
sure known to the govern-
ment. "They represent
you; they have to listen.
We all have the right to
vote and there will he an
election coming up. I sug-
gest we use our right to
vote, we use our right to
complain to our MPPs
and we do it now!"
Option 4
Hunter realistically said
there was no option to
have hospitals remain as
they are, and so option
four was developed. This
option does not identify a
secondary hospital in
Huron.
"Our population, our
geology does not in the
eyes of the action commit-
tee warrant a secondary
hospital," said Hunter.
With that savings, Hunter
said, "...we are proposing
that we can maintain most
of the communities at the
level they are functioning
...for that extra special Christmas dinner
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HOLIDAY STORE HOURS
Sunday, December 22 11 am -5 pm
Monday, December 23 8 am -9 pm
Tuesday, December 24 8 am -5 pm
CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY DEC. 25
& BOXING DAY DEC. 26
Friday, December 27 8 am -9 pm
Saturday, December 28 8 am -6 pm
Sunday, December 29 12 pm -5 pm
Monday, December 30 8 am -6 pm
Tuesday, December 31 8 am -6 pm
CLOSED NEW YEAR'S DAY JAN. 1
REGULAR STORE HOURS JAN. 2-5
today."
He said the option has
the support of Goderich at
the present time. Listowel
has looked at it and seen
merit in it, but ... "at the
present time they are in
the process of creating
their own option and
depending on what hap-
pens they may support our
option."
The action committee
has costed option four and
Hunter said, "The people
at Wingham hospital who
do the number counting
are suggesting that we will
save almost as much as the
DHC has said we should
save."
Last Friday all alterna-
tive options developed by
groups had to he submit-
ted to the DHC. On
Monday, the groups were
given 15 minutes each to
make a verbal presenta-
tion.
The preferred option is
scheduled to be released
by the DHC on Dec. 19,
with an open house to talk
about it being held in
Wingham on Jan. 9.
Steffler said they would
also ask for a two-month
extension before the
DHC's preferred option is
released. The Grey Bruce
DHC recently announced
a t'wo-month extension on
their preferred option
announcement.
"We hope we get the
extension. We want them
to take a serious look.
Let's not rush into any-
thing, for if we ever lose
our hospitals, you can bet
we'll never get them
back," Steffler said.
During the question and
answer session,'several
from the area voiced their
concerns.
Reeve Stuart Reavie
said Lucknow council has
passed a resolution in sup-
port of-o.ption four, and
suggested "everyone
should send a letter to
their politician reminding
them of your voting
power."
Stuart Alton, speaking
for West Wawanosh coun-
cil, said they find them-
selves in a catchy situation
because part of their popu-
lace goes to Goderich hos-
pital. "We support option
four 100 per cent, and
would sure like to see
Wingham stay as it is pro-
viding excellent health
care."
On a personal note,
Alton said he believes it is
important to keep hospi-
tals open. "We want to
make sure our children
have the things they need
to work with in our com-
munities. If you close hos-
pitals you don't give them
buildings blocks to work
with."
Ashfield Reeve Allan
Gibson said part of his
municipality goes to
Goderich as well. "I would
like to know what this
'option X' is (jointly spon-
sored option on restructur-
ing by six Huron -Perth
hospitals).
Jim Boyle, the humor-
ous reeve from Kinloss,
thought it would be a good
idea to bring the politi-
cians from Toronto to
Kinloss; put them in a
horse and buggy during a
medical emergency and let
them travel to Stratford to
find out what it's all about.
Bob Hallam questioned
why Goderich and not
Clinton was chosen as a
primary plus hospital
under option four. Hunter
said that Goderich already
has the presence of spe-
cialists that could be used
on a rotation emergency
basis between there and
Wingham, and the already
availability of psychiatric
beds in Goderich. "That
doesn't make Clinton any
less of an attractive
option," said Hunter.
Hallam said he too
would like to see `option
X' because of the hound-
ary problems in his munic-
ipality.
Ian Montgomery
expressed his concern in
the event a had accident
should occur in the north
end of Kinloss. "We carry
some of the most precious
cargo there is - your chil-
dren. What kind of
•turn to page 6
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