The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! MEMBER OF: ONTARIO CANADIAN COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ANEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION CASSOCIATION CANADIAN "" mCIRCULATIONS CNA DIVISION AUDIT BOARD ISSN#0844-398X The Whitby Free Press is distributed free to 99% of the homes in Whitby, Brooklin, Ashburn & Myrtle as well as numerous public and commercial outlets ln Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering & Port Perry. 27,000 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLY MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Canada $32 + GST • Outside Canada $75 + GST Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. Box 206, 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario LIN 5S1 Phone: 668-6111 Out of town: 1-800-668-0322 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pifher - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager Printed on newsprint with minimum 20% recycled content using vegetable based inks.t • Al wrtten material, illustrations and advertising contained herein Is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by an ymeans for commercial purposes without the express permission of the newspaper Is prohibuted and is a violation oe Canadian copyright law. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credit fine te the Whitby Free Press. 'Money first, healing last' To the editor: Copy of letter to David Hume, oresent, Oshawa General Hospital. On Sunday, Oct. 2, I had to take my niece to your emergency department for treatment. This 20-year-old girl was on vacation from Scotland and had developed a severe bowel problem. She had travel insurance in the event of illness while abroad, but when we registered at emergency, we were told that the travel insurance would not be accepted and that a credit card or cash was necessary. I was taken aback by this and questioned their policy, only to be told that this was standard procedure in most hospitals as some insurance companies did not pay for treatment which-meant in turn that doctors were not paid for their Not the problem To the editor: Bill Swan is eloquent, as always, in his column ('A small price,' Free Press, Oct. 5.). I doubt that any words I write can change his opinion on the matter of firearms registration..To lose a member of one's family is a terrible thing. But alcohol and guns do not go well together, and a loaded gun in the house is an invitation to tragedy. As Mr. Swan says, gun control laws would have done nothing to save his brother. Registering the guns of law-abiding citizens will do nothing to save lives. Criminals, those who take lives, care nothing about rules and regulations. As long as the justice system does not fit the punishment to the crime, society will suffer. The problem is, and continues to be crime control, not gun-control. Only law-abiding citizens obey laws, and they are not the problem. Tom Anderson Whitby services. I was also told that it depended on which doctors were on duty. By this time my niece was in so much pain that she agreed to pay by credit card and the receptionist advised the doctor. I cannot express the disgust I felt when we were told that the doctor would only see her if we were paying cash. He was not even aware of the pain and anxiety my niece was suffering, he was not concerned about her health, only that he would be paid in cash. In principle, I refused to give this doctor any cash and decided to go the Ajax General where, if this indeed was their policy, we at least would have been prepared for it. I had mistakingly presumed that Whitby General Hospital was closed on weekends for emergencies, but en route to Ajax, I discovered this was not the case. We registered at the Whitby hospital reception where there is a large notice advising a flat rate of $165 for emergency room treatment without OHIP. The doctor on duty was very caring and extremely helpful and did not once discuss payment with my niece even though he knew she was on vacation. The difference in attitude restored my faith in our medical system and it certainly comforted a very worried patient. My niece, who is studying to be a doctor in Glasgow, is now back home and has to be admitted to hospital for further tests. Surely this attitude by certain doctors should be investigated for our health's sake as well as the negative impression it causes. We do not need doctors who think of money first and healing last. There must be many of Whitby residents who, like myself, rarely use our own emergency department and may not be aware that it is still operational each day of the week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Please let this incident be yet another reason why we should be fighting to save our general hospital. Maureen McAlarey Whitby To the editor: Re: 'SOGH member's motives criticized' (Free Press, Oct. 5). As I believe that Joanne Prout is too professional to respond to this attack, on her personally and the committee in general, I feel I must do so. I was present at the original committee meeting of SOGH. When the subject of elections was raised, Shirley Scott made her possible intentions known and was willing to leave. Joanne Prout said she would not want to speculate on what her future intentions might be. It was the general consensus of those present that their genuine concern for saving our general hospital was their primary goal and they should be able to take an active part on Proposed cuts are Iud icrous To the editor: Re: Whitby Psychiatric Hospital Bob Rae doesn't care about peoples' lives. The proposed financial cutbacks in the psychiatric system is ludicrous. The psychotheraphy unit (PTU), the only one in Canada, at Whitby Psychiatric Hospital is not going to be able to continue the way it is now. People depend on the staff. What will happen during the times when there won't be any? The staff at PTU are unique and gifted individuals. The are ail needed for the success and continuation of the program. Take away the staff and you take away the safety and security. People have chosen to be there and have chosen a non-medicated program. PTU is usually the final chance people give themselves. It's a major reason for reduction in "revolving door" patients. Bob Rae is looking at the here and now. What about ail the individuals who are not given the chance to get better? They will continue to go in and out of the system or choose suicide as the only other alternative. Money or lives, is it really a choice? Former PTU patient Joy Della-Latta Whitby the committee. Gerry Emm was not present at that meeting but later made his position clear about saving our general hospital. I would think that anyone who has lived in Whitby for any time would be aware that Gerry Emm is indeed a politician. SOGH has not misrepresented the hospital board. Quite the contrary, the board has been given every opportunity to make their position clear and has failed to do so. (Remember the rally for the concerned citizens of Whitby? The board was conspicuous by their absence). Where are they all hiding and from what? Resign if you cannot publically take a stand, you owe the residents of Whitby that much. I would suggest that Mr. Kealey could take some lessons from Joanne Prout on how to conduct himself publically or at least have his facts straight before putting both feet in his mouth. I am surprised that Mr. Kealey, in his position, is not aware that criticizing others, even one's opponent, only makes him look To the editor: RE: SOGH member's motives criticized (Free Press, Oct. 5) I read with interest the article in which hospital official Marc Kealey said he questioned the motives of the Save Our General Hospital citizens' committee. Mr. Kealey, the intentions of SOGH are clear. We want to make sure that our hospital stays as t is and continues on with its usual excellent service. Hf a new structure is necessary for the proposed rehab centre, then plenty of land (15 acres) is available in the same area. Turnabout is fair play. What about the motives of those people who support the rehab conversion plan. Are they political? Are some of them trying to create a cushy job for themselves? Or is the exercise altruistic in nature, with the intent of making our hospital the possible place in which to be be ill and continuing the 24-hour emergency service? The real motives of those advocating the radical change to the system remain obscure. bad, and, if indeed he represents the hospital board, he should be taking a very good look at his own motives. I respect anyone who takes a stand publically before they know which way the political wind is blowing. As much as we wish this was not a political issue, it is. I only hope that Shirley Scott and Joanne Prout are elected so they can truly represent the needs 0f our community. I would also suggest to Mr. Kealey, the Whitby administrator and the Whitby hospital board, look to their equals at Oshawa General to sep what they are doing right. Oshawa has a voice. It is time Whitby found theirs instead of hiding behind the district health council. I would like to see the reaction of the board in Oshawa if the health council suggested that they would have a cancer treatment centre of excellence but all acute care would have to go to Whitby. Ruth Hoidsworth Whitby By the way, the majority of the citizens of Whitby do want Whitby General Hospital to be as it was before this current fiasco erupted. J. Gordon Neal Whitby Trafflo islands Work To the editor: Re: Speed-calming roundabouts They are working. The self-centred, selfish, tail- gating, light-flashing, horn- blowing, impatient, cheating, lawless, Iane-changing speed addicts are complaining as the speed addicts do about photo radar. Do you recognize yourself? Dugals Gorden Whitby Responding to 'attack 'Obscure' motives To the editor,,,,.