Bus lares, may risc 250 help out at Sodathon School staff expenses sought Page 2 IPage2 .Page 5 Â mur- hospital "a' direction... the big thing is that the mini stry lias d that we can retain acute care seviesthere OSHPAWA RNSCIN ,unce ByMark Reesor A letter from, Ontario liealtli minister Jim Wilson lias renewed' h lopes Whitby General Hospital (WGH will retain outpatient acute Care and emprency servics; 'But just whatthe Sept..27 l*etter, addréeed to, Durham Region district healtli coundil chair'Gerald Blake, actually means depends on who you ask. "Wliat lie said.i. was te ensure that adequate emergency services are provided for4lihe people-of Whitby," said Durham Centre MPP Jim Flahierty after reading the letter to the WGH board at their Wednesdlay evening meeting. "Wliat that means right now is that we have to maintain the level of emergency services liere at Whitby Generaî'Hospital because, as you know, Oshawa General Hospital in terribly overcrowded in the emergency department." The Ajax-Pickering Hospital is faced with the same overcrowding, he said, "and> I know from my discussions wiili the minister that ie's aware that we have to ensure throughout ail this process that an adequate level of emnergency services are maintained." However, the letter isn't a reprieve for Whitby residents worried about losing emergency services, lie said. "Itfs a review; its a. further assessment and review, which is what I promised as a political candidate and what Premier Harris pronised when lie was here in Whitby in May and which we're going te do... "Now is the time for ahl of the people of Whitby and Durhiam Region te draw together and work together from now to the. end of February, whicli is the deadline set by the minister, to accomplish the goals set out by the minister,* « sid Flaherty. "We're not out of the woods yet but, boy oh boy, this letter te me in a great shot in the arm," said WGH board chair JimSouci.« "I went into the meeting, waiting for this letter te, corne down, witli a feeling cf 'is this going tobe the end or wlatT...1 liad about five different sets of notes to go on, depending on wliat came down from the ministry, because we were in limbo and thatsé a heck of a position te be in.« Souci said the letter gives the A reminder to the Premier Page I Bid to restore 4hour servce at Whitby General shelved By Mark Reesor A motion to seek the money necessary to restore 24-hour emergency service at Whitby General Hospital (WGH) was tabled by the board of directors Wednesday. Tlie motion, tabled. on a vote of 11-8, was moved by regional councillor Gerry Emm and advocated supporting the Durham region acute care study, providing it is amended to include the request. It also asked for threé other amendlments to the study: *That Whitby General continue as an acute care hospital. *That.Whiutby General continue to maximize the services that are to be available to this hospital. *That services offered by Wliitby General and other area hospials.be rationalized so as to provide better services to the residents of Whitby and area. An almost identical motion by Emm and sermnded by centre ward counïcillor Shirley Scott -wlio represent the region and town on the board - was tabled at a WGH board meeting in July. "I would have liked to see a yes to my motion," Emm said during a Local résidents are stili a priolrity, ,h.ospitbasinsist By Mark Heesor Emergency service. for the residents of Wihitby is important, says Whitby General Hospital CEO Elizabeth Woodbury, but there are no immediate plans te restoe 24-liour service. "The ministers letter makes it clear tliat planning for emergency services across the region lias to be a priority," she says. That planning will take place between now and the end of February "so that we can clearly understand what roi. this facility wili play in providing emergency services te tlie community - and wliat role. other providers will Play."f Woodbury was s3peakiiig at a news conference Monday morning called by she and hospital board chair Jim Souci te respond to Ontario liealtli minister Jim Wilsondsletter.1 "The board lias made it clear tliat it is concerned that residents of this community have acceas te tlie services they need, wlietler tliey be provided liere or elsewhere," Woodbury says. The liospital will not be able te continue offering ail of the services in ail the locations it has in the past, she adds, noting that it, wil be concentrating on rehabilitation and outpatient sgical servics. Whitby General's emergency department is currently open from 8 a.m. te 10 p.m., aithougli Woodbury notes the physician on duty remains there until midnight "so that patients arriving riglit up to the strike of 10 p.m. are fully cared for." As well, "general medicine services" are available on an on-cal basis te, the emergency department, aithougli patients hiave te "often" be transferred te anotlier liospital if complications arise. ë break in the meeting. "This comxnunity needs a clear sense about the direction in whicli we're prepared to go to provide the services for the people of this town." Emm said people -want to work with and for the hospital "because they'll benefit from a good service hospital... "If we're told to take less, tlaiat' one thing but we should aim liigher, hle said. "We sliould ask for as much as we can get, and I think that's what's. been lacking all along." Board chair Jim Souci said it was decided to table the motion because tlie majority'feit it "might put us in a position wliere- we couldn't accept anything less than inpatient acute care or anything lesa than 24-hour emergency, .whicli is an extremely expensive service to provide. «We'd mucli sooner leave the door open and negotiate around itou Most members were not o pposed, to the motion ini principle, lisaid, but feit tliey needed to roview the minister's letter, whicli the~y lad received less than two hours *prior to the meetingetbre making a decision. "Parts" of the motion wilbhe on the agenda at the board'. next meeting, Souch nid, promiuing it