The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-03-21, Page 16.t
I
r,
0
- ..... ,w
Citizens write to the Hon. Dennis i
mbrell
)l oUming a public meeting last week
moue than 100 people sat down and wrote
letters to Ontario Health Minister Dennis
'!'lmbrell tel lot him why they feel
Wingham and District Hospital should not
be forced to close beds. A number of those
letters were sent to The Advance -Times
for publication and they are printed below.
Unfortunately in several cases the name of
the author had been left off the copies of
letters sent to us and we were unable to use
these letters.
0-0-0
Dear Sir,
I wish to bring to your attention my
�vM..nn �-.n•..-..n ........ wriin.. iii.. in►i+n�wii
closure of beds at Wingham Hospital. Our
hospital currently operates at a bed cost
well below many hospitals in Ontario and
has operated below budget for many
years. The service provided by our
hospital is greatly needed in our large
rural area. The severe winter storms in
this snow belt area often make it im-
possible to travel long distances to
hospitals.
I am concerned that the loss of beds at
this time will lead to our hospital losing its
viability as a hospital to our community in
the future.
Wingham hospital was built by the
community and I feel we have a right to
retain the quality of service we currently
enjoy.
Ian O.,Clarke, RR 5, Lucknow
0-0-0
Dear Sir:
I am a -very concerned citizen of the
Wingham area concerning the closing of 14
!reds in our local hospital. I feel we are
very undeserving of this cutback for the
following reasons:
Our hospital is efficient and it has
worked within the budget. We have the
lowest cost per bed per day, being $95.92,
and work at 78 per cent occupancy rate.
There is not another hospital in this area
any cheaper so there is no way you, as a
government, will be saving any money.
The 3.5 beds per 1,000 is not applicable to
this area since we have 13.8 per cent senior
citizens, winter storms, and the only
hospital in a radius of 25 miles. The
average senior citizen rotfor all of
Ontario is 8.6 so you can s we have more
than double the.. average.
The closure will lead a loss of ser-
vices in the future s ch as specialists,
consultants, cancer clinic and our nursing
school.
If you think it is saving money look at the
cost it will cost emotionally and financially
as you travel to larger centres for care.
We need every bed in this hospital, all
100 of them.
Merle Underwood
0-0-0
Dear Sir:
I am writing to express my concern re
the closing of beds at the Wingham and
District Hospital. I have been a patient
there several times and have received
excellent care. We are in a relatively
isolated area particularly in wintertime
and our hospital area, covering an ap-
proximately 25 -mile radius, does not in-
ferfere with any surrounding hospital area
since other towns with hospitals are not
that close by.
I understand that our hospital is ex-
tremely efficient and the cost per bed per
day, $95.72, is much, much lower that
many other hospitals. Why close our
hospital beds and thus cost yourself more
money by forcing us to seek treatment
elsewhere? Wingham has pioneered in
many fields -we have many specialists
who come here. I greatly fear that many of
our advancements will be lost if beds are
cut back.
Please these cutbacks.
Mrs. Gwen Laidlaw
0-0-0
Dear Sir:
We are 1 about our local
hospital! We feel that with the large area
that is covered by this hospital we cannot
:.ff--d a bed cut of any
ai
This area has many violent accidents
and we need hospital space for these. We
have many elderly people who need care
at times and a bed loss will be very dif-
ficult.
Our children require care too and it our
beds are cut we will run into difficulties
again.
The Wingham and District Hospital is
very efficient and gives excellent patient
care. Your consideration on our behalf
would be appreciated.
We want our beds left intact. We want
our hospital!
A. Chettleburgh
0-0-0
Dear Sir:
I wish to express my concern along with
the many other people in this area as to the
closing of our hospital beds. I am a
registered nurse, active in the hospital
until two years ago, so know something of
Use situation which will result because of
this step.
The hospital in this area cannot be
assessed in the same way as every other
one in the province. We are different in the
following ways: 1. We are in a snow belt
area which creates travel problems from
November until March. The cold weather
often means more illness of certain types.
2. It is an, area of a larger percentage of
senior citizens. They have their own
particular needs.
3. This hospital in Wingham is run very
efficiently, more so than most. We have
many extra services which will
deteriorate if we lose our beds.
I trust that you will honestly aA fairly
assess the situation again. This letter
touches on only a very few of the reasons
why we need to maintain a full hospital.
E. Muriel Thompson
r
Dear Sir:
I am writing to you with respect to the
proposed cuts is hospital beds at the
Wingham and District Hospital.
Fewer beds will result in fewer
referrals, which in turn will result in fewer
beds until we have no hospital at all.
Needless to say, having no hospital would
create serious problems for many people.
If it were not for our local hospital my
husband and I would not be alive today.
Both of us have had an emergency
situation and needed prompt attention.
I appeal to you to reconsider your
proposal so that the people of this area will
have the high calibre medical care that we
have enjoyed for many years.
!ru a. ♦�. _"Iakp. uu
0-0-0
Dear Sir:
It frightens me to look ahlad and see
that if the government of this province is
allowed to close 14 beds in our hospital in
1979 it is the beginning of the end!
It is hard to understand how people
unfamiliar with our geographical area can
know the hardships that will be suffered by
our citizens as a result. Not only is it a long
drive to the nearest city hospital, but in
fact an impossible drive during some days
in the winter.
To argue that it is more economical to
centralize hospital facilities in large urban
areas is statistically incorrect. In our
hospital we provide excellent care to the
sick and injured for $95 per day, as com-
part/dd to $120 to $300 per day in a city
hospital. Our hospital functions efficiently,
is consistently under budget and is fully
accredited.
To sacrifice even one life because there
is no bed in our local hospital is too high a
price! This hospital was built by the
community, for our community, and with
an average daily census of 78 per cent now
we will be unable to serve our citizens with
the good medical care they are entitled to
if the bed capacity is reduced.
Mary A. Lee
0-0-0
Dear Mr. Timbrell:
The deletion of 14 active hospital beds
plus the financial support this year, and a
further 14 beds and money next year, was
received as a decided shock to this com-
munity. The heap and welfare of ap-
proximately 15,000 persons served by this
hospital has or will be placed in jeopardy.
As the recently retired executive director
of the Wingham and District Hospital, with
32 years of service, I was involved with the
growth of the hospital from 18 beds tota 100
bed compliment - a gradual growth based
on the need for medical and professional
care.
The 1945 addition was financed entirely
by the community. In 1955 we received a
partial bed grant only; a financial share of
the building was financed by the county,"
town and townships using the hospital, as
was the 1967 addition. The final result,
approved by the Department of Health, a
modern 100 bed hospital consisting of 48
medical, surgical, and obstetrical beds; 10
cardiac and special care; 12 isolation; 12
paediatric; and 18 chronic and extended
care with a daily average census of 78-80
per cent (never lower all year than 74 per
cent).
Geographically, the Wingham and Dis-
trict Hospital is situated in the northern
section of Huron County close to the Bruce
County line. Thus we serve both counties.
Our location resembles the hub of a wheel
with the closest hospital 25 miles away on
the same highway to our largest referral
centre, London. This 75 miles for patients
requiring medical and surgical treatment
beyond the scope of a 100 bed hospital.
During the winter months patients are
often unable to be transported out of town
due to the fact that we are in the snow belt
area.
Wingham Hospital serves a population
of 15,000 plus, persons within a radius of 20
miles, with an average of 13.8 per cent in
the senior citizen bracket. Geriatric
patients require more than average medi-
cal and professional care with longer
hospital stay. Our average hospital stay
is: 7.4 Active, 4.9 Newborn, 75.0 Chronic.
Why should Wingham remain at the 100
bed capacity?
1. Retain the specialists using the Clinic
Building, 13 in all, to provide services to
our people. Anything less would not be
feasible to have such visits, thus our
patients would be required to travel to
large centers adding to congestion and in-
evitably to long intervals of waiting for
appointments.
2. Our school for nursing assistants
would be closed because the students could
not receive their clinical experience with
less than 100 beds, resulting in more ex-
pense to the hospital to hire new staff re-
quiring orientation.
3. Reduction in hospital beds and budges
necessitates dismissing staff members
and -or placing them on part-time employ-
ment. It i5 a well known fact that part-time
help are not as satisfactory as permanent
staff without loss of continuity and of care
and they require more in-service super-
vision. The rate of unemployment would
increase resulting in more expense for
Unemployment Insurance or welfare. The
hospital is the largest employer in the
town. Formerly, 260 people were em-
ployed, this has recently been reduced to
162 full-time equivalents to comply with
the budget - a critical number for safe
and competent overall care of the sick and
suffering. And a further reduction of 17,500
paid hours will be necessary next year.
Wingham hospital pioneered and con-
tinues to provide:
1. Nursing Assistant school established
in 1942. Copied by Ontario Health, our
graduates are in demand by large hospi-
tals. Education of the young people of this
area rated among the first ten over the
province.
2. Cancer Clinic, established in 1950
under the guidance of Victoria Hospital
Cancer Centre, London, is conducted twice
a month.
3. Huron County Health offices in the
Clinic Building conduct Pre -natal, Geria-
tric, and Well -Child clinics, monthly.
4. Ophthalmology specialists from
London visit monthly.
5. Pediatric specialists from London
visits monthly.
6. Ear, Nose and Throat specialists from
London visit monthly.
7. Neurological specialists from Hamil-
ton visit monthly.
8. Radiology - a Radiologist serving
this and two other hospitals daily.'
9. Surgeons - consultant and as neces-
sary for major surgery and gynecology.
necessary for major surgery -4and
gynecology.
11. Pathologist - consultant as needed
with visits monthly from Stratford Hospi-
tal.
12. Internal medicine - specialist from
London visits bi-monthly.
13. Psychiatrist - from Ontario Hospital
in Goderich, visits as needed and weekly to
our Mental Health Resource Centre.
14. Cardiologists - special care and car-
diac unit which was added in 1973-74.
15. Other services: (a) Ambulance
established in 1966, before Ontario Depart-
ment financed same. Our ambulance crew
manufactured conveyance to transport
patients during winter months when roads
were inaccessable and snow machines are
used for emergency transportation of
storm marooned persons; (b) Physical
medicine - physiotherapists; (c) Meals -
on -Wheels in 1970; (d) Home Care - in
consultation with medical staff and dis-
charge planning nurse; (e) Infection,
safety, and disaster plan committees; (f)
Pharmacy.
This was the first hospital in this section
of Ontario to receive hospital accreditation
in 1967 and to date with very few minor re-
commendations (presently has a three-
year full accreditation). Hospital surveys
by Agnew Peckham were completed with
the recommendation that service areas
should be enlarged - out-patient depart-
ment and another operating room - other-
wise within the confines of the required
criteria for good hospital care.
The Wingham hospital has an excellent
medical staff consisting of: Teeswater (1
doctor) - 9 miles - Bruce County, Luck -
now (2 doctors, 1 radiologist) -11 miles -
Bruce County, Brussels (1 doctor) - 15
miles - Huron County, Wingham (5
doctors and 1 surgeon with O.R.
privileges) .
Each doctor, in turn, stays on call for 24
hours every day of the year. They, plus a
dedicated hospital staff give good pro-
fessional care, under the direction of a
competent executive director and assis-
tants. Last, but certainly not least, a
volunteer board of directors enforces the
rules and regulations that are set by the
Ontario Hospital Association and Public
Hospitals Act for the safety of patients and
staff and the maintenance of buildings,
etc,. Special reference should also be given
the auxiliary to the hospital, which has
raised and given funds for capital equip-
ment not covered by the budget.
Wingham has weathered storms and re-
jected the closure of our Nursing Assistant
program, and the Central Board contract
similar to the Regional Educational Board
which proved more expensive than in-
dividual schools administered by ' local
citizens.
Mr. Timbrell, what is in store for
smaller hospitals? Will they be absorbed
by large empire building institutions while
small town institutions are relegated to the
care of the elderly, mentally and chroni-
cally ill, alcoholic, or drug addict, and the
type of person no institution is interested in
helping, as evidenced in pictures taken in
Toronto, Ontario? These are human beings
and how can a hospital or any institution
refer .persons to exist under these condi-
tions In what is supposed to be an en-
lightened age! People are sentenced in
court for treating animals under similar
conditions. Wingham at least, gives its
people gopd, considerate care and respects
human dignity. No one is discharged until
adequate care is assured.
What is your answer to the article
quoting Mr. Trudeau in the March 10, 1979,
edition of the Toronto Star? "The Liberal
government established medicare on one
essential basis - that it be universal and
accessible to all citizens. If anything is
done by any province to depart from that
principle we would have to review the very
high payment the federal government is
making to the province to cover half the
cost of medicare." In the coming year
Ottawa has Vlocated $3.9 billion for its
three major health care programs: hospi-
tal insurance, medicare, and extended
health care. This money is transferred to
the provinces. Is Ontario not capable of
raising its share of these costs without
sacrificing adequate care for its people? It
is my personal belief that the province is
committing political suicide if they persist
in closing hospital beds that have already
been established and are functioning well.
How can Health costs be reduced)
1. Allow each hospital to have autonomy
to regulate a realistic budget and stay
within its bottom line figure. Reduce em-
pire building institutions - no sick or ill
person needs to be confined in a "Ritz Hil-
ton" building. Regulate large city institu-
tions for specialized treatment and com-
pare costs of large centres with smaller in-
stitutions. Our cost per day at this time is
997 with its many services. Why can't
other institutions of similar size operate
with similar costs - budget.)
2. Promote suitable nursing homes for
the patient who needs care but not neces-
sarily in a hospital of expensive serves
controlled under an active hospital board
and administration. This would free the
present active treatment beds for the
seriously ill and eliminate a long waiting
list for admission to active and extended
care treatment.
and -or impossible at times.
3. Set and maintain the high standard of
(b) The fact that our area population has
medicare which the USA would like to
a Wow than average percentage of senior
follow.
citizens? (13.8 per cent as opposed to a
Consider the cost of a human life! I am
provincial average of 8.6 per cent.)
afraid you will find it difficult to deprive a
(c) The fact that the Wingham hospital
person of something that has been given.
is the only hospital in a service area of
The avenlge person believes it is their
over 300 square miles and that it draws
right to secure medical care under the in-
from outside this large area as well.
surance premiums.
4. The closing of beds will redulce the
The Wingham and District Hospital
number of admissions. This will reduce the
Association would welcome a visit from
referral population even further, Will this
you in the very near future to explain why
in turn cause the government to:
this hospital should be penalized when it
(a) elope even more beds'.+
has always functioned in all aspects well
(b) doge the hospital at some future date
and within an approved budget.
when it is decided that it -no longer has
(Mrs.) I. E. Morrey
enough beds to function efficiently due to
Illi lW:l Ulilt SUVerillllelll UCllUll lure'en Uen
Dear Mr. Timbrell,
cuts?
5. Is this initial bed reduction the be -
I am writing this note to you as one who
��ng of a process that will dose hospi-
has really felt the benefits of having easy
tals and centralize medical service?
access to the Wingham and District
6. (a) Is the combination of budget re -
Hospital.
straint and bed closure affecting all hospi-
My late husband was a person who felt
tals equally? -
his responsibility toward his country and
(b) Will you please supply me with a list
fellow -man. He took his share in a quiet
of the hospitals that must dose beds along
way of projects going on in his area. He
with the riding in which they are located?
suffered from a lung ailment and had to be
May I thank you for considering these
admitted several times in the last two
questions about our local hospital. I am
years because of breathing difficulties.
deeply concerned with the future of this in-
Becuase of the nearness of the hospital he
stitution and I shall look forward to
was able to receive oxygen and necessary
receiving your replies to the issues I have
medication to send him home again to
raised.
carry on. If we had had to travel a good
John H. Mann, B.A., M.Ed.
distance to hospital this just would not
have been possible just would not have
0-0-0
made it. He and I both received excellent
Dear Mr. Timbrell:
care while patients in hospital at Wingham
As a concerned citizen, president of the
and while he passed away just two weeks
medical staff, Wingham and District
ago, I have the satisfaction of knowing that
Hospital, family practitioner and surgeon,
everything possible was done for him.
I urgently request that you reconsider
Please don't close beds, we need them all.
your decision to reduce our budget leading
Mrs. Eva Carter
to the immediate closure of 14 active treat -
RR 2, Wingham
ment beds to be followed by a further 17.
0__0_0
I feel that your advisors at the Ministry
of Health must have failed to indicate to
Dear Mr. Timbrell,
you the special circumstances which
As a concerned citizen of I urge you to
necessitate the maintenance of our present
reconsider the closure of beds at the
bed complement which is barely adequate
Wingham and District Hospital.
now. The medical staff have to exercise
I have worked in the health care field for
the greatest discretion in the demand on
over 35 years in spite of being a han-
our present beds and on many occasions
dicapped person (i.e. a polio patient).
we have to restrain ourselves from ad -
Were it not for the hospital I would not be
mitting patients who really should be. This
alive and as productive as I am today,
hazard will increase very greatly when the
For all like me we need all the care and
beds are closed and I can only visualize
support we can get.
serious medical disasters occurring.
Miss G. E. L. Norris R.N., D.N. (Ld)
Wingham and District Hospital was built
0-0-0
by the communities and by the drive of
-
Dear Sir:
concerned citizens to satisfy the -medical
I enjoy being able to say how much I like
needs as they saw them for this area.
Wingham and District Hospital. I have
As you are well aware, the hospital
prospered and maintained its financial
been a patient in the hospital and have had
stability by public support and by pri-
real personal care. I was treated won-
vately insured hospital care costs until the
derfully by nurses and doctors and I have a
government intervened.
healthy respect for the chance to uphold it
As you know, the provincial government
in every respect. I do hope they will not
was reluctantly pushed into medicare by
take beds away but will add as many as
the federal government using the carrot of
they possibly can to it. I have enjoyed
about two years at the mental health
inducement - large tax dollar con -
centre resort and have been given free
cessions.
The government contracted with the
meals and transportation to and from it. I
board of governors of the hospital to pro -
have had personal care from 9 a.m. to 3
vide medical services at the hospital in re-
am. daily. I knitted different articles and
turn for financial support.
enjoyed myself very much. I do hope you
The government, in my opinion, have
all will think well about this outrage and
abrogated their agreement and withdrawn
will hurry to give every need to the
hospital.
this financial support whilst the board of
Ellen Walker
governors have maintained the highest
RR 2, Wingham
medical hospital facilities. The hospital is
accredited at the highest grade, namely
0-0-0
three years, which is, public recognition of
Hon. D, Timbrell:
its excellence.
On behalf of the 19 nursing assistant
A full range of specialist services has
students training at Wingham and District
been attracted to the hospital. There are
Hospital I am writing to you to let you
two surgeons resident in the town, one
know of the concern we have for the
visiting surgeon, two consultant internist
hospital bed closures.
physicians, a pediatrician, an ophthamolo-
It not only affects staff, patients having
gist, an obstretrician, a psychiatrist, a
to go to larger cities, the medical
neurosurgeon, a radiologist, a pathologist,
profession, the economic cutback in
a gaenocologist and a mental health day
money to the community, but also the
care annex is available.
nursing school and the students. The
The hospital has excellent laboratory
nursing assistant program at Wingham is
-and physiotherapy facilities, an intensive
the only one in Huron County and I'm
care unit with 10 beds with available car -
proud to say it ranks as one of the finest in
diac monitoring and the hospital is a bust -
Ontario.
ling hive of activity in this area. We have
We, as a group, can't understand that
an active cancer clinic which draws pa -
with Wingham's lower cost per bed (lower
tients from as far away as Owne Sound in
than other hospitals) beds have to be cut,
the north and Exeter in the south. As no
Where are the savings?!
doubt you realize, that when the active bed
This hospital was -built by the com-
complement is reduced by the proposed 31
munity and all of a sudden the people of the
beds, many, of these specialists will not
community don't have a say. Why?
find it warrants the effort of visiting on a
Our population of senior citizens is 13.8
regular basis.
per cent. Compare this with other areas.
There has been an active nursing school
We are the only hospital within a 25 -mile
for the training of registered nursing
radius and not infringing on any other.
assistants for many years which has a high
Please reconsider, taking into account the
reputation in the profession and a modern
cost in terms of dollars, emotional tension
physical facility with 20 graduates a year.
and time when people in this area have to
I enclose a map of the whole area and
travel to larger centres for care.
you will see that circles with a ten mile
. Come and live in our area! Try one of
radius have been inscribed around each of
our winters when you are snowbound for a
the towns. You will see that there is con -
week! Get sick and then try and find
siderable overlap in all hospitals with the
'Where are the beds?'.
exception of Wingham. Thus, we have to
jean Sier tsema
Supply the needs of 315 square miles of
Class President
territory and a referral population of
(and 18 other nursing students)
15,000 with little assistance from any of the
0-0-0
nearer towns. Our closest is Clinton, 25
miles away.
Dear Sir:
The hospital has not only been efficient
As a citizen of Wingham I am concerned
from. a medical point of view but has main -
that our hospital will be forced to close
tained this efficiency on a very strict bud -
beds because of the way your ministry has
get. We have consistently been below bud -
allocated funds. I have a number of ques-
get for many years and it would seem that
tions that require answers so that4 may
rather than being awarded for this we
understand the government position. I
have been given more budgetry re -
have heard, sir, that you do take time to
strictions than our much less efficient
answer your mail and I sincerely hope that
neighbours. Our occupancy has been
you will take time to respond to my con-
always at a maximum and yet our day
ceras.
stay has been befow the average for the
1. Is the 3.5 beds per 1000 referral popu-
province because of a high turnover and
lation a ratio that was established for rea-
efficient disposal of patients.
sons of financial management or a revi-
Our daily dollar rate of $93 compares
sion of a provincially established stan-
very favourably with that of the larger
dard?
hospitals where patients of necessity will
2. How was the size of Wingham's re-
be referred when our beds are closed, so
ferral population established?
that the ultimate cost to the provincial ex -
3. How has your department made
chequer will be increased rather than re -
allowance for each of the following factors
duced. Lastly, Wingham has a special re -
when arriving at the number of beds that
sponsibility to the geriatric patient. Our
must be cut to meet current budget?
geriatric percentage of population over
(a) The severe winter conditions we ex-
a#e 66 or 12.5 per cent is the fourth hi "t
perience which make travel dangerous
in the province. The nursing hpmei and
chronic care beds are apparwHy per-
manently blocked and It is a frightening
thought to wonder what is to become of our
aged population.
I fed that this letter is far too long for
you to read but we in Wingham look to you,
air, to redress the injustice that is being
perpetrated under your name.
Should the disasters occur which one can
anticipate, one can only quote the prayer
of the Lord Jesus, "Father forgive them
for they know not what they tiro,,'
` R. D. WlIkUw, F.R.C.S.
President of 1"cal Staff
0-0-0
Dear Mr. Timbrell;
T am a I i naranl eifiyow) tar.
payer and voter living in Wingham in
Huron County. I find myself appalled at
the apparent unfairness and indifference
shown at present by our government of
which you are a representative as minister
of health and welfare.
We inWingham have a hospital that was
built by the people of the community for
that community and surrounding area.
The government took it over and is now
trying to cut back beds and so indirectly its
services and effectiveness. Our local
board manages the hospital very ef-
ficiently, more so than many other hospi-
tals - yet a formula of bed cuts is applied
to all alike and, of course, hits harder a
hospital such as ours which has kept and is
keeping its expenses to a bare minimum.
We belong to a rural area where the
population is widespread and distances
are far greater than in densely populated
regions, an area where extreme weather
conditions such as snow storms dominate
our lives four to six months of the year -
yet your ministry seems to feel that all
that can be ignored and cities and rural
areas treated alike.
Huron County is also an area with a high
accident ratio. Unless accident victims
can be treated immediately in a hospital
with full facilities and adequate bed space,
many more deaths may occur. Even in the
most serious cases that have to be trans-
ferred to London or elsewhere, the im-
mediate help a hospital such as ours pro-
vides saves many of those lives and makes
further transport possible.
During the summer and winter too, our
government tries to encourage tourism as
a potential means of income - but who
would want to travel and holiday in an
area that does not offer adequate medical
services? Are we not defeating our own
purposes?
Our local elected representatives recog-
nize the needs in this area and are in a
much better position to try to meet them
than the provincial bureaucrats who seem
to have only one fixed approach - that of
eliminating services already established
and paid for. Compromises and attention
to other means of solving the problems of
higher costs seem to be possible in some
areas such as Windsor. Why not here? One
such solution might be a user service fee
paid to and administered by the local
hospital boards as they see fit in response
to the needs of the communities they
serve. Should we be penalized for trying to
help ourselves?
I understand that our hospital board rep-
resentatives have unsuccessfully tried to
present our case to your ministry, but per-
haps if you, not long ago the youngest
minister in our province, could give this
matter your personal attention, a more
constructive solution could be found. I
would hope that the fact that this is a
liberal riding would not prevent flexibility
and positive, creative thinking on your
part from being applied to us too.
I appreciate your attention to this
matter.
Mrs. Inge Wraith
0-0-0
Dear Mr. Timbrell:
Wingham Hospital is currently facing
bed cuts as a result of your budget
restrictions. Of particular concern to me
as a parent is the cutback that will be
necessitated in the paedi tric wing. My
children have expreienced centralized
urban centre "large hospital" care and I
have been appalled. We came to the
Wingham area, in part because of the
availability of a hospital. When we had
occasions to utilize the paediatric wing we
were extremely impressed. The level of
personalized 'human' concern for the
children was outstanding. This is no health
care machine you are dealing with but a
most remarkable 'community' hospital..
Sinee our visits have all concerned acute
respiratory problems, the nearness of
Wingham hospital is also clearly of great
importance to us.
I am confounded that you would even
'consider restricting Wingham hospital. It
is by far one of your most efficient
hospitals ($95 per day), as well as serving
an area with an unusually large senior
citizen population. Further it stands alone,
servicing an area of approximately 350
square miles.
I STRONGLY urge you to reconsider.
Mrs, Ian O. Clarke, RR 5, Lucknow
0-0-0
Mr. Timbrell:
As a member of this. community I want
to express my concern at the cutbacks of
our hospital.,
My own family has received personal
care in a way we very much appreciated.
In every way possible nurses, doctors and
others involved used their skills and
thoughtfulness to every extent.
Statistics prove that it is a very ef-
ficiently run hospital and at minimum
expense. We simply cannot afford one bed
cut because of the wide area it services.
If one will view it practically it will be
seen that it is not saving money as
unemployed need to be insured and the
sick transported to a larger centre some
miles away. We need our hospital and
every beef in it!
Mary Weber
G