Page 4, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, June 29, 1994 Council: Kee p acute care services By Mike Kowalski Town council has joined the fight te preserve acute care health services in Whitby. Council unanimousiy endorsed a resolution Monday which dem anded retention Of acute care services at Whitby Generai Hos- pital. In addition, council also requested a three-month exten- sion of the July 7 deadiine for public submissons te a report which proposes major changes te hospitais in Durham Region. In Whitby General's case, the Durham Region District Health Colo, Your Wortd® I Cali De or Sandral Council study is recommending converting t he hospital into a rehabilitation treatinent centre serving the entire region. Services associated with a generai hospital would no longer be offred at the 25-year-old faci- lity if the heaith council and ultimateiy, the Ontario govern- ment, accept the study s pro- posais. Council's decision, although unanimous, followed a lengthy and occasionaliy heated discus- sion of an issue which has hit close to home for many Whitby residents. Prior to debating the resolu- tion, council heard from a repre- sentative of the newly-formned Save Our General Hospital (SOGH) citizens' committee. The group, which has drawn support from a cross-section of the community, is dedicated to maintaining Whitby General as an active treatment hospitai (see separate story). JoAnne Prout toid council that while SOGH is hiot oppposed te adding rehabilitative services te the hospital, it does not want te lose what Whitby Generai already has. In fact, Pout said the hospitai can offermore. "Save Our General Hospital wouid like te see 24-hour emer- gzency service restored at Whitby General Hospital," she said. (Emergency de partmnent hours were cut back earlier this year as a cost-savings measure.) "The addition of obstetrics would not be unrealistic either, considering the present and pro- jected population growth," said Claiming her group is «cogni- zant of t he budget restraints" which prompted the study pro- posais, Prout rejected them as not servin& the best interests of Whîtby residents. "We want Whitby General Hospital te be recognized as an integral part of the Whitby corn- munity and, as such, an essential service not te be eroded," she said. But while caliing on council to, support the committee's goais, Prout aiso dem anded te know why it had taken the Town so0 long te take a position on the issue. Mayor Tom Edwards repiied that council could not make its feelings known offlicialy until it had sufficient information before it. Attempts te schedule a mneet- ing between Whitby and health council officiais proved un- successfui until one was finally arranged for tomorrow (Thurs- day),Edwards said. "We feit it wouidn't serve the community well if we spoke without some prior knowiedge,» he said. While individuai councillors were free te offer their opinions, council wanted te give the health council the courtesy of a formai meeting, Edwards said. "We haven't had that oppor- WQQcd el(4ii RED WOOD, DARK MAHOGAN $9 M9 3.785 L 1916 Dundas Street East, Whitby A1 fl f R L - .. 7..-i c oci w.V M il3 anr .1J I l £V-" e urate KEP OUR (ciY2UMIL Dog-Gone Air Conditioning Specials from]ltoiedDae I4UThG IAgI ONOTIOIUdG ~A ÇNOIION~G 0ET1M BRMDLEWOOD & LENNOX AIR CONDITIONING PRES F RE ! THSSUM ER* No Payments until January 1995, C.A. DR. KEN HOBBS (Ieft> was one of about 100 people, who have joined the fi ght to retain acute care services at Whitby General H-ospital, at the hospital's annual general meeting Iast week. Photo by Maurice PI ther, Whltby Free Press tunity," he said. Councillor Rose Batten echoed Edward's remarks. "In ail fairness this council has not had the opportunity te get al the information and make an educated submission on where the hospitai is te go in the future," said Batten. "This is a positive statement that we want the hospital retained and te have an exten- sion so ail residents, doctors and council wiIl have time to make a submission,» he said. Councilior John Doistra said there was more than enough room at Whitby Generai te acco- modate both facilities. "We have 16 acres of land at Whitby General Hospital. If they want to put in a rehabilitation centre, fne, but we need a 24- hour hosp ital,» he said. Declarng that it is "time te start rattlfing the bushes,» Dol- stra said, "Witby is growing and the hospitai is falling apart at the seams.» Doistra then provoked the ire of councillor Marcel Bruneile by insinuating that council could have been kept better informed. Bruneile, who aiong with coun- cilior Dennis Fox is a member of the hospitai board of directors, is also the only elected officiai from Durham Region on the heaith council. "The reason you don't know is you're not paying attention or asking questions, Brunelle lec- duct cleaning or high efticiency air cleaner or humidifier oe 401 M M M M M M M M M HWV #2 EZFLEA MARKET HOME & E'DESIGN ECIENTRE BAYST.m UAlmost ail councillors have cailed me and asked what's going on,» he said. However, Bruneile was quick to stress that he does not sit on the steeringr committee. "I don't hlave any more infor- mation than the other members," hie said. "I knew at the saine time as anyone eise ... when Mr. Buffett made his announcement in the newspapers.» (Former hospitai board chair Ed Buffett, a member of the steering committee, confirmed in eariy May wh at had first been reported in The Free Press Iast December. The study was offi- cially reieased a few weeks later.) «I have submitted ail of the information I received to date. When the report was released I had it only 24 hours before coun- cilior Doisra knew," Brunelie added. Fox concurred with Brunelle's exjianatiofl. As a member of the hospital board, the information was not forthcoming to us either," said Fox. "But we're taking the wrong approach. We're ail on the samne side, we shouldn't be fighting," hie warned. "If we do, we stand a pood chance of iosing the hospital.' Prout later told reporters she appreciated councii's decision, yet stili could not understand the delay. "We agree there was not suffi- dient time to ailow the public te respond, but we o pposed the recommendation of t he commit- tee from the start,» she said. "We expected te, see it from council as qulickly.» Prout ai so had reservations about council asking the steering committee to exten d the deadline to Oct. 7. "Three months is a fairly long time. I'd hate te, see us lose the momentum,» she said. However, "I'm really pleased council and our committee are on the same side. We can't be part of any inf-ighting." M4M EKM FOOTW~EAR INC. MMphifstl ts WHITBY MALI 728-4197 t-asiaows ne-m raun 4x vviiispapri valut: - ry c "icu, ce-t- irt a a