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Region Acts to Defend Durham Health Services
April 16
Durham
Regional Council today called on the province to reverse the decision
of the RVHS Board and
Central East LHIN to close 20 mental health beds at the
Ajax site. The identical
resolution was approved Monday at the Ajax Council meeting. Both
motions carried
unanimously.
A
number of other Durham municipalities have approved a similar
statement.
The action also follows an April 10th public
meeting attracting over 1000 citizens. It was marked by a public outcry over the
slashing proposals. see news 9
The importance of mental health services, the
motion reads, was recognized as a LHIN priority. Nine additional
beds were promised in recent expansion plans.
Addressing the Council, Friends spokesperson
Bill Parish called the proposal to move mental health beds 'a
dastardly and cowardly act' targeting some of the 'most
vulnerable' segments of the population.
The motion also cites the lack of meaningful
consultation in developing the plans and the difficulty in accessing
services locally and transportation barriers if the move takes
place.
The widely ranging resolution also calls for:
- keeping core services at A-P and designation
of A-P as a 'full service hospital',
- real and meaningful consultation,
- population based funding,
- reversal of the merger of the Ajax-Pickering
and Centenary hospitals.
Hospitals key to Community
Regional Chair Anderson called hospitals the key to community. Without
a hospital, the community doesn't exist.
The 905 Health Care Alliance has pointed out
that the Toronto area regions have received $212 per person less
for hospital services that the provincial average.
"We were there in the beginning (of the
Alliance) and we will be there in the end," Anderson stated.
Friends co-chair Bill Parish expressing
satisfaction at the Region's action stated that he couldn't recall such unanimity before at Regional
Council.
Councillors heard that neither the RVHS Board nor the LHIN
are accountable to the public. The Central East body acts as a
'fortress' for the Provincial Government, it was said.
Further, it
is claimed that it is impossible to get information from documents
to identify the source of RV's financial situation.
MPP's Accountable
Local MPPs were
directed, as the only accountable representatives, to act on the public's
behalf, speak up for Durham and take the message to Queen's Park.
The recent crisis developed as the RVHS responds
to Ministry of Health requirements to submit deficit elimination
plans. Durham leaders want the Board to 'identify new operational
efficiencies that maintain core local health services and provide
the resources required to support and protect these critical
services.'
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