PAGE 14, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19,1987 Candidates preferred their leaders in debate All three candidates vying for the seat in Durham Centre agreed that Monday night's televised debate between the three party leaders was a worthwhile exercise. -The (Liberal~ David Petd'son, uxiervauive Larry Grossman and New Democrat Bob Rae) all did well in style. None of them made mistakes because they are all seasoned veterans," said Liberal candidate Allan Furlong. "It was a worthwhile debate," commented New Democratic can- didate Sarah Kelly. However, each of the three can- didates felt their parties leader, came out on top. "I was impressed with Mr. Grossman," said Ball commenting that Peterson refused to answer direct questions on official bilingualism and education funding from Grossman. But Furlong disagreed. "Mr. Peterson handled the attacks very well. Both party leaders (Grossman and Rae) were as vague as they were accusing Mr. Peterson of being." "Bob Rae did a great job on get- ting our message across," said Kelly, referring to an NDP cam- paign based on the "working people." She also said Peterson did not give direct answers to questions. Members of the public will have an opportunity to assess Durham Centre candidates in a debate hosted by the Ontario Public Ser- vice Employees Union at the Whit- by Legion hall on Wednesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. Policy review suggested FROM PAGE 1 of harm was done, but perhaps we need to look at our policy,"he says. According to Mayor Bob Atter- sley, it is the policy of Whitby coun- cil to welcome any leader of a provincial or federal party at any time. "Perhaps, during certain times of the year like an election, we should think twice,"says councillor Joe Bugelli. "According to the policy there was nothing wrong but if it was of- fensive to some people we should .look at the policy." Councillor Tom Edwards says when he learned of the premier's visit he asked Town staff to arrange a private interview with the I[ premier to discuss a "confidential rmatter" relating to the Town. He did not elaborate. He did not meet with the premier. "I have no real concern. I just wish it had been used for a more substantial reason," says Edwar- ds. Correction An editorial.in last week's edition should have stated that Sam Cureatz, Conservative candidate for the Durham East riding in the provincial election, has been an MPP for 10 years. The Free Press wishes to apologize for the er-or which stated that Mr. Cureatz was an NDP member. I Managing emergency, operating rooms By BRIAN WINTER The emergency department at Whitby General Hospital is much more than a walk-in facility that one uses when an emergency arises, says Linda Kashak, nurse manager of the emergency and operating rooms. With more than 20,000 visits per year, the department offers many services, some of which are new in 1987. The out-patient day surgery ser- vice, housed in the emergency department, requires booked ap- pointments. Procedures that require the patient to spend only one day in the hospital, such as removal of wisdom teeth, urology examinations and sterilization procedures, are booked by the doc- tor. One new service that started in February 1987 is an orthopedic fracture clinic. Every Wednesday afternoon local doctors may refer patients into the clinic to see a specialist. This will save a trip to another distant hospital or specialist's office. Two new services that also star- ted in 1987 are opthalmology and arthroscopy. Many patients requiring these operations will be able to come into the out-patient day surgery in the morning, go to the main operating room for surgery, and return home that af- ternoon. Arthroscopy, which started at Whitby General this month, is a relatively new type of technique for examining and doing surgery of the knee. It requires only a tiny incision annd causes very little trauma to owntown LINDA KASHAK the knee. This new type of surgery enables the patient to walk within days 'instead of having to wait several weeks. Arthroscopy is often used for sports-related injuries. Opthalmology surgery, which began at the hospital in May, in- cludes removal of cateracts from the eyes, and lens implants. While the emergency department and operating rooms are well equipped to care for general types of eituations, more complex and serious procedures may be tran- sferred to Oshawa or special units in Toronto. In 1985 Whitby General received funding to buld a heliport. 's provides a quicker system for trian- sporting very severely injured or critically ill patients to Toronto hospitals. Patients are often brought to the* emergency department following a severe traffic accident, are stabilized and then airlifted to Sun- nybrook Hospital in Toronto. Before the six to eight-minute flight, the extra assurance of stabilization at the Whitby General is vital, says Kashak. The heliport is kept in readiness at all times, as there is often very little notice that it may be used. On several occasions, patients have been brought to the hospital by helicopter. A search and rescue helicopter plucked someone from the icy waters of Lake Ontario last winter and brought him to Whitby General for stabilization. A physician and registered nur- ses are in the Emergency Depar- tment on a 24-hour basis, ready to give care to anyone who comes through the door. As in. any emergency department, life- threatening cases must be seen fir- st even if someone else has been waiting for a while. People who call for advice over the phone are usually urged to come to the emergency department if they are concerned. If is very dif- ficult to know that all is well over the phone, says Kashak. She oversees the nursing aspect of the department, and ensures patients receive proper care. While letters of support and thanks are always welcome, she appreciates when someone takes the time to let her know that they are concerned about their care. This gives her a chance to explore the concern with a view to im- proving services. Kashak credits her staff for ever- increasing efficiency - in the energency department and operating room. Whitby Heritage Day Coming Soon! .100ý- à 'Oýý - . M--_ - --m le N%.- 000 à 'IN