Wednesday, January 28, 2009
End of Emergency Room = End of Emergency Care?
Does the closing of the Douglas Memorial Hospital Emergency Room mean the end of emergency care in Fort Erie? You can read my opinion/research on the issue HERE. What do you think? Will care be compromised when the DMH ER closes? How will the closure affect your life? Are you thinking of moving away as a result?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
What bothered me the most regarding the LHIN and NHS decisions was the fact public opinion and compromise was not even considered. I understand the removal of pediatrics and ob/gyn services due to the fact that our birth rate is low, but I do not understand why it could not have been allowed for eye surgery or diagnostic services.
There are many obstacles that need to be overcome in order for this plan to work. First is the development of an inter-regional transit system or funding to draw more Red Cross Drivers, more funding to educate and train EMS technicians as well as to place them, as well as a weather contigency plan. Not only would this involve well trained drivers to handle the QEW, but an agreement (which probably is already in place) to cross the border if travelling to St. Kitts is unfeasible.
I find it interesting that when the chair of the LHIN spoke of a personal situation where she had to drive a family to a Urgent Care Centre- she said that that was not her first choice, but to take them to a "hospital". Did anyone catch this?
This whole process is more how to ajust to what we will have. The elderly,who are limited to transportation and the people who can't afford to drive now will do what? if you are released from welland or niagara or stcatherines hospital How do they get home?if you become ill and must be admittedwhere do you go?and again how do you get home and feeling sick on top of this, what will you do? come home in an ambulance at a very high cost. to visit someone how can you get there? no day surgery, so you must travel all that way, and then follow up trips until things are healed. There must be better ways, we should really think these things over. why not build a new state of the arc urgent care excellent centre and turn the douglas memorial hospital into a mueseum.?
I did catch Ms. Gledhill's remark about where she wanted to take her father, but she said that her choice of the hospital first was based on emotion. Her father received first class treatment at the urgent care and she was happy with the outcome. I don't like the fact that the hospital ER is closing, but the LHIN chair hit the nail on the head, we haven't had an ER in years. Where were the politicians over the past 10 years as it was being dismantled piece by piece? Stop beating a dead horse that left the barn a long time ago. Also, some of the comments made at the council meeting directed to the LHIN board were inappropriate, misguided, and disgusting. Unfortunately when all is said and done, Fort Erie will be left without its ER, and a lot of our dignity as well.
The dismantling of Douglas Memorial Hospital has been underway for at least a decade. I noticed a big difference, as a member of the Niagara District Health Council, when the Harris government took over. Programs were cut all across Niagara and the first major restructuring (downsizing) started then. Hotel Dieu was scheduled to close but it was "saved" at the last minute. It is now nothing but a shell of its former self. Many services that were readily available at DMH were moved out years ago. I have had to go to GNGH for simple tests and procedures that routinely used to be carried out at DMH. The Liberals have much of the blame for this, but, the beginning of the downward spiral of DMH can be traced back many more years before the McGinty government took office. DMH was content to be a "clearing house" for patients: stabilize and send them on to other hospitals if they were critical, but still getting paid by the province per head. I once brought up a proposal that a walk-in clinic be placed in the Ridgeway/Crystal Beach area (I was new to the NDHC) and the late DMH administrator went ballistic at my suggestion. He was adamant that DMH could "handle any walk-in patients." I offered the suggestion because of an obvious transportation issue for Ridgeway/CB residents, but that wasn't important to the administrator. That was in 1993.
We can point the blame in many directions, but the main issue at hand is that the Fort Erie population largely consists of seniors and people with no transportation. There are "studies" that prove that people heal quicker when they are around family. I have had experienced first hand where I or a family member had to be in one of the other hospitals in the winter where we had no family visitors due to the weather. If we are continuing with this-then there better be some family rooms built in the wing of this center of excellance like they do in Hamilton.
Good points. Niagara has the highest senior population in Canada and Fort Erie is way up there with NOTL, yet NOTL lost its hospital several years ago and is doing OK. But it is closer to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. DMH has a great reputation for providing excellent care - especially in long term care. So does Port Colborne. Back when I was on health council, there were a few of us who were pushing to have PCGH as the designated mental health centre of excellence. I wish we had been successful in getting that, but no one listened. (I thought that since the Newport Centre was already in place and the setting of the hospital was perfect that it would be picked.) Instead the mental health component has been buried away in GNGH and St. Catharines. Another travesty, IMHO.
Again if you want to lay blame for this whole fiasco lay it with the two idiots who voted to support the new super hospital in St. Catharines to the tune of 50-60 million without making sure in writing that they would not touch D.M.H.. This is experience that the idiot was talking about, had enough yet? Fix my g--damn sewers you f---ing idiot.
Again if you want to lay blame for this whole fiasco lay it with the two idiots who voted to support the new super hospital in St. Catharines to the tune of 50-60 million without making sure in writing that they would not touch D.M.H.. This is experience that the idiot was talking about, had enough yet? Fix my g--damn sewers you f---ing idiot.
I hope that Peter Kormos' bill gets approved. Then we would be able to vote in members like we do to the school board. There needs to be representation from all municipalities and there needs to be accountability.
We have been talking about this regarding the EDTC, but that isn't the only office that relies on public ignorance to push its own agenda. Another good example would be the Niagara Parks Commission.
Speaking of regional Council...What exactly does Shirley Cordiner do to earn her
25k plus salary? I have watched almost every council meeting on tv for the past 2 years and if you took all the things she has ever said and put them all together you would maybe have 40 minutes of speech. Almost every meeting she says "I have no report". Give me a f**king break. are you telling me there is nothing going on at the regional level concerning Fort Erie? i'm not a big Doug Martin fan but honestly, if it wasn't for him interjecting when she speaks, the info we would be getting would be inaccurate, and most of the regional info would never be known. She is a waste of money in that position and owes the taxpayers a refund. here's a suggestion Shirley - take notes, write something down, and let us know what the hell you did all week.
Well well, what we have sown has now begun to reap.
Are we waking up yet people?
V
Thank that dickwad Martin for the closure of our hospital because it was his and that har-rep from Ridgeway that voted to support the funding of $60 million of taxpayers' money without ensuring that our very own local hospital remained open, this should have been discussed prior to the support for the super hospital.
Is this the experience that the may-ars-hole was talking about?
I think residents are now starting to understand why the Liberal government has been so hesitant in jumping on board to save the track. If the recently announced plan is any indication - no wonder they have dragged their feet. Looking at the details made public - heavy subsidies from the taxpayer, guaranteed revenue levels, coverage of operating losses, etc. - I can only imagine what the previous proposals were that were kept behind closed doors. Sandy Annunziata has really misjudged this one. I am not a Kim Craitor fan, not by a long shot, but I now understand why the province has not come running with open arms to support any plan so far to help the track. It's a business, history or no history, sometimes businesses close. Sandy was probably never good at math but someone needs to tell him that the number of votes he will gain from track employees and ancillary workers when he runs for MPP, will come nowhere close to the number of votes from those who don't support this insane idea of throwing good money after bad at a losing proposition. His best bet is to use the old 'I want to spend more time with my family' line and just walk away when the municipal and provincial elections come rolling around.
I'm Hoping that the faithful residents of our cute little town, are really starting to SEE the big picture,and it is of GREED and total stupitity,they really must think the great people of Fort Erie are so uneducated,and believe in our council (of the day) that WE are going to put up with the crap they are relaying to the public.NOT SO. The entire council, with the exceptions of Ann Marie Noise, and Mr. Stickley should RESIGN NOW,(other BIG companies in the US.) that have the same GOUGHERS as we have in our council are starting to learn the People DO HAVE A Voice. health or horsess? or Hell and high water, Doug Martin is Just An OLD!! Has Been. and the T-Bird should fly away now. With OUT the MONEY he is trying to SCAM from the GOOD People Of OUR Cute Little Town. Perhaps, we can get back on tract, and save our Hospital, and SAVE OUR CUTE! LITTLE TOWN. if we are considerd old fashioned, Well MARTIN, T-crap and YES Martha I think You all would Look Good down at the train bridge, COVERED In Tar and FEATHERS, Heading to the US ,No The United States has more class . Besides crimnals are NOT WANTED.
Post a Comment