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The Citizen, 1996-12-11, Page 6TAX FREE Saturday December 14/96 Storewide "Fashions for Plus Sizes" Where Fashions are an attitude not a size! Exciting styles for Christmas & New Year's Parties • Cardigans • Jewellery • Knitwear • Dresses • Casual Wear • Sleepwear Free Gift Wrapping with Purchase Gift Giving Certificates available Lauretta's Hug & 1/2 252 Josephine St., Wingham 357-4650 Visa & Mastercard Accepted Hospital staff warns that people will die brought laughter and applause from the public. One man was overheard to say, "They never do." The Mennonite community in the northern part of the county is also worried, said Bill Woodley, director of Patient Care Services at Wingham. "It is a one-hour buggy ride to Wingham for a lot of them. One woman was present at both meetings to speak out. She said that she had sat on the DHC but found out before they were too far into the first meeting that those from the biggest centre, "those with the biggest voices were the ones who were going to be heard." She then told about an accident her son had had and the treatment he received which saved his life. "I have had nightmares since this report came out. Don't wait. You deserve some kind of care. Take action before it's too late." The panel urged those present to write or telephone MPP Helen Johns and Dr. Janet Hook of the task force voicing their opposition. Also meeting chair Verna Steffler stressed the importance of attending the open houses scheduled by the council. Wheeler Buslines has donated its services to take people to Wingham on Dec. 12. Pickup in Brussels is 6:30, Blyth at 7 and Belgrave 7:15. One man, who sat as a member of a task force sub-committee said there has not been any costing seen with any of the options. "They don't even know if there will be any savings," he said. Workman said no one at county council has seen where there will be a - "nickel saved". "Ask them questions at this open house," said Steffler. "And when you see them smile, nod and hear them say, 'Well... the system isn't perfect.', you know they don't have the answer." "So when we can't make it to the hospital in time, who do we sue," one man asked. "Good question," said Steffler. "Ask them." By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff People will die! Debbie Ritchie, an RN at Wingham Hospital stressed this point at meetings in Blyth and Brussels last week regarding the Huron Perth District Health Council's options for hospital restructuring. The impact of either of the three options suggested would be felt economically and through the loss of life, several health care professionals noted. "We're trying to tell you what you'll lose before you do because once they're gone, you won't get them back," said Dr. Greg Antoniadis, a Wingham physician. The task force study recommended that only two hospitals, Stratford and Goderich, will be secondary care facilities. Primary care, as recommended in all three options, means, Ritchie said, there will be no operating room service, no general anaesthetics nor obstetrics. "The physicians best able to stabilize trauma and seriously ill patients are gone. Losing this manpower, will effectively kill emergency service." "When there is a bad accident on Hwy 86, and we've seen it many times, if they need surgery to save their lives, sorry, it won't be there." The "golden hour" with trauma cases is crucial, Ritchie said, in the patient's chances for recovery. Also, for heart attack victims the initiation of drugs to stop damage in its tracks within 30 minutes, reduces mortality rates. "If we have to spend this period in transit that stabilization is gone. The end result is people will die." Lab and x-ray services may be eliminated, dependent on the option. This means that nursing expertise will be lost. "I am going to go to a hospital where I can utilize the training I spend the time taking a course to get," said Ritchie. Many people at both meetings ,• at Wingham Hospital who was in attendance at the Blyth meeting faulted the task force in not considering the long-term effect. "We are looking at babies being born in non-optimal situations. There will be impact cost to the province for the next 80 years. Consider the cost to the school systems for one child brain damaged because the mother couldn't get to the hospital in time. Just remember that." One resident remarked that restructuring is not fair to seniors, who may have to move to different communities to be near hospital care. Dr. Greg Antoniadus said, "It's not fair at all. (The government) is taking you out of your communities, the communities that built these hospitals, because residents saw a need." Bessie Johnston asked if the government had said how much - money it was going to cost to build additions on the hospitals, which would now have to take in more patients. Dr. Brian Hanlon's, "I don't think they thought that far ahead," shared concern over the road conditions. A nurse told of twins born in that hospital last week when the ambulance, travelling from Owen Sound, couldn't make it to Stratford in time due to wintry conditions. Ritchie agreed. "We all know Hwys 4, 2-1 and 8 (the ones that would need to be travelled for most Huron County residents to get to Goderich or Stratford) are the first to close in winter storms." Brussels Reeve Gord Workman said, "These are our hospitals, built and in some cases equipped through donations. The people who are making the rules don't understand life here." Emily Phillips, an obstetrics nurse OPTION 4 PRIMARY PLUS Option 4 would have the following hospital designations: 1 Secondary Hospital - Stratford 3 Primary Plus Hospitals - Goderich, Wingham, Listowel 1 Primary Hospital - Seaforth Clinton, Exeter and St. Mary's, in this option, would be investigated with respect to needs, community interest and cost to determine the non-inpatient services level required. Options generally include: No "institutional" service; a Primary Care Center configuration; or a Primary Hospital With No Beds. The service grouping of Primary Plus would provide the following service: • Beds: acute (including ICU/CCU), chronic (including palliative), rehabilitation (may include), psychiatric (may include). • Emergency (Level C): - 24 hour general practitioner in-house or on-call - nurse on-site 24 hours - specialists available most of the time - 24 hour lab and diagnostic imaging - transfer by ambulance if necessary • Specialty Services: Core includes internal medicine, all inpatient general surgery, all outpatient surgery with a general anesthesia, anesthesia, obstetrics and radiology. Other services may include orthopedics, urology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, ear nose throat (otolaryngology). • Primary Care Services: General practice, specialized nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, social work, pastoral care. • Clinics: May include day surgery, oncology, cardiac, gerontology (link with reg. Geriatric Program), diabetes, nutritional counselling, foot care, breast feeding, day surgery, endoscopy/colonoscopy, community mental health. • Lab & Imaging: 24 hour lab and diagnostic imaging. PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1996 Hospital restructuring United we stand By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff They can not be allowed to divide and conquer. Only by forming a united front can we defeat them. This sentiment came through loud and clear at two meetings organized by the Action Committee of Wingham and District Hospital. Some 125 people were present in Blyth Public School, Dec. 4, while 200 came out to the Brussels one the following night to learn more about the Huron Perth District Health Council Task Force's options for hospital restructuring in the two counties and the impact it will have on residents. Dr. Greg Antoniadis, a Wingham physician on the panel for the Blyth meeting, said with regards to the task force's three options, "They have presented proposals that have given some (hospitals) a carrot. That's how you conquer. You divide first, then it's easy for government to come in and do what it wants." All the panel members expressed frustration over some evident biases with the options. Despite the fact that Goderich has Lake Huron within the 30 minute travel zone to the west, it has been designated, with Stratford, a secondary hospital. "I'm not sure I understand how Goderich got in there," said a nurse from the Listowel Hospital, who was in attendance at Brussels. "There aren't a lot of people west of Goderich." Antoniadis said that while residents have been promised readily accessible health care, the task force options didn't provide it. "If you live north-east of Hwy 8, you're not going to get a lot of health care. If you're a fish and live near Goderich, you'll be okay." "The government wants to take away hospitals that communities have built from the foundation up. The options are not providing quality accessible care. They have pitted community against community." While the panel from the hospital received applause for its Option 4 proposal (See box on this page) it was grudging approval. Several people in Blyth were concerned about losing the Clinton hospital, while a woman in Brussels said she felt that Option 4 was biased to the north hospitals. "What about the state of the art obstetrics ward at Clinton. It still seems like we're still protecting our own turf." Verna Steffler, committee chair, said that Listowel and Wingham were considered because of the Grey-Bruce report, while St. Mary's is quite close to Stratford. RN Debbie Ritchie said that surgery and obstetrics are not available at Exeter at this time. "There were many questions we had with the other options, like why Seaforth got into every one of them and why it appears that unless you're on Hwy 8, nothing happens," said Steffler. "We tried to fill the gaps." She added that, as with the task force's options, Exeter, Clinton and St. Mary's will be investigated further to determine what the community needs. "In no way do we think one of them should be closed if the community can't do without it." John Stewart, clerk-treasurer for Blyth said that while the province has stated the status quo is no longer acceptable and change is necessary, he urged that the best alternative be found and put to the province. "We must work together and show them we will not accept anything short of the best alternative." Grey Twp. Reeve Leona Armstrong also spoke in favour of Option 4, saying that as the status quo is no longer acceptable, this proposal made the most common sense. Hospital care in her township is split four .ways she said, with residents going to Listowel, Wingham, Seaforth and Clinton, and the service at each is "sacred" to its patients. Morris Councillor Kevin Pletch said that council had voiced its opposition to the closing of any hospital. "And as a citizen I believe it's better for the hospitals to work together against the government." Morris Reeve Bert Elliott added. "We deserve the care we are getting now and nothing less." Steffler said the Wingham option is being discussed with other hospitals and that the CEOs are meeting Dec. 6 to do strategic planning. "Option 4 is not meant to be adversarial. We need to put our act together and put something collective on the table. There is going to be a lot of talk between all of the players." The idea that hospitals need a 100 per cent occupancy to be cost effective is "unjust", Antoniadis said. "We don't know when we're going to get sick. Health care is expensive and unpredictable. Health comes and goes, but when we are sick, we need to be somewhere. What's important to remember is that the squeaky wheel gets oil." Ritchie said the cuts shouldn't be coming out of the province's 90 rural hospitals, which get just 10 per cent of the total hospital budget. "Should they be allowed to do this? I think not. By doing this disservice here they will save two per cent. That is not worth putting rural Ontario through this. Go to the urban centres and get it." At Brussels Turnberry Reeve Brian McBurney added a personal view to his council's support of Option 4. "We make a mistake if we don't support all the hospitals in Huron-Perth. We have to work together and continue to show our opposition." The task force, he said, should be forced to acknowledge the role they are playing for the government. "We need to get in their faces, tell them we don't like what they're doing. (The task force) tell the government they're not going to do this, hand this job back to our MPP Helen Johns, the Minister of Health and Mike Harris. If the province wants to kill health care, they better get some blood on their own hands."