New .bed cam paign lu -works WHITBy FREE ýPRESS;, WEDNESDAY, FEJ3RUARY S,108,PAGE; 3 TH ARLY BID ATCHE$,THEWOR'MIl V I 8noý TheWitby General Hospital board of governors will mtike public in two weeks their new campaign to acqire more active- care beds for the hospital. "We are developing plans on the issue and they won't be 'finalized for two weeks,",said Bill ,Wallace, wvho chairs -the board. Wallace- gave no -.details ofthe plan-, sayingonly that the board is treating the matter "seriously.", Tjhe board failed in its first attempt to convince the Ministry of. H4ealth that the hospital is short of acute care beds. Last year, the ministry allocated chronic care beds but no additional active care beds for Whitby General although 43 acute beds had been recornnended by the Durhami Region. District'Health Council, the xinistry's advisory board in, Durham. The, board then began .a campaign to gather signatures on petitions. About 13,000 names were collected, but Elinor Caplan, Minister, of lHealth, did. 'not reverse th~e decision. Respo nse to Caplun remark Remârks b Ontario Health MinisterElinor Caplan in the legisiature in December recently led to letters. of ý response from Whitby Mayor Bob, Attersley and hospital board, -chairman Bill Wallace regarding acute care beds atWhitby General. As -recorded in Hansard, in response. to a. question from Durham East MPP Sam Cureatz, Caplan said population increases for Durham. Region were taking place in -Ajax, Pickering and Oshawa. .In bis letter to Caplan, Attersley pointed out that Whitby bas tripled in popul ation since the-bospital op)ened in 1969, and that Whitby's. ra te of-, -rowth has exceeded Oshawa's. "It is m V vew that in ligbt of your comments you have not clearly un- derstood the kinds of- dynamnics in, Go-'ahead given, for final Fairvitew Lodgerenovations The final phase of renovations at. Whitby's Fairview Lodge has been approved' by 'regional council members.. Councillors gave overwhelming approva1 for the $4-mi]Iion^ facelift ýWhich will comnplete renovations and bring the seniors' facility up to provincial' 1standards. Tenders will be called for the renovation of -the kitchen, laundry, boiler room, heating and yen- tilation systems. The Region wants the project un- derway and provincial approval received by the end of March in or- der to qualify for a $2-million sub- sidy. The Province has already w*arned the Region,,that failure to get al! the paperwork out of the way b y 1th%à end of their fiscal year would resui in the loss of their priority status, -a move which could move the project down on the list and make it ineligible for funding. Plans cail for tenders to be called early this month with council ap- pr 'igthe contract during Mr clisbudget discussions. ýDuring this year, $250,000 toward the project will be taken from the general, tax levy, a figure represen- tmg9 0.6 of, one per cent of the forth- coming tax increase. Another $750,000 w'ill be taken f rom h development charge,.levy reserve fund:and' the ýbalance iia8e 'up by the $2'-mrillion'pr-ovincial subsidy. DUring 1989, -the -additional 1$1 million, required to complete the project wilI be drawn from the general tax levy, an amount which finance chairman Jim Witty feels could represent 1.75 per cent of any tax increase for that year. Because the project, wich was approved in principle early last year, will extend beyond the present term of council (elections will be held this November) and in- to the first year of the following term for councillors, approval fromn the Ontario Municipal Board will be required.» growth that have been taking place in our municipality," states Atter- sley, mentioning the nearby GO station and housing growth planned for the area s urrounding' the hospital, which will bring'anad- ditio nal'15,000 people. Attersley said the 65 acute care beds at-Whit- by General is "well below" :sub- mission previously made by the board to the minister. He said Caplan had indicated that some people were inappropriately placed in acute beds who should have been in chronic beds. Wallace responded in bis letter that "when people are admitted inîtially, they are 'not admiitted to the acute beds as, a divisive means of gaining oc- eupa ncy tô our hospital by the doc- tors. The situation that occurs can- flot be accounted for anid is not ,dissimilar to any other hospital heethere is a shortage of acute care and chronie beds.Y Wallace had noted that occupan- cy at Wbitby General was 92.43 per cent as of June, 1987,,with average length of stay 7.51 days per patient. He also asked Caplan to "Iclarify" hier statement in the législature that "representation from the region is very understanding of our *approach in the delivery of services on a régional basis," a subject tbat had been discussed by Caplan with Durham West MPP Norah Stoner and Durham>«Centre MPP Allan Furlong. Wallace concluded his letter by stating that Caplan might re-assess the need for more acute care beds after reviewing "more current statistical data." Board members had already noted population changes at a Dec. 16 meeting with the health minister. BEÀ AN EA R L Y B IRD! 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