The Wallaceburg and Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition wants to know what you want included with your local health care.
The group has launched a survey to gather that feedback, and they’re planning a public meeting to discuss it this week.
“What they think is good, what they think is bad and what they would like to say to the CEO and Supervisor of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance,” said Shirley Roebuck, the leader of the coalition, about the survey.
“We are doing this so that the public has a say in how our health care services are planned as we move forward with organization of CKHA.”
Roebuck said there are paper copies of the survey around town, including at Rona, Westbrook’s, Taylor’s Variety, Burgess Variety and at the radio station in Wallaceburg.
You can also click here to download a copy of the survey.
“I am hoping that everybody in Wallaceburg and the surrounding area and everybody on Walpole Island will fill out a survey and tell us what they want and what they expect for local health care services,” Roebuck said.
“As far a numbers, I want them high. I need everybody to participate in this. We are going to look at the results, we are going to summarize them and try to tabulate them if you will. We want to share that information with the new CKHA supervisor and with the interim CEO of CKHA, as well as the Minister of Health Dr. Eric Hoskins and his staff, so that everyone who is in a position to decide what health care services Wallaceburg and the surrounding areas, including Walpole First Nations, have are aware of what the community believes is best for them.”
Roebuck said her and her group have met with the CKHA supervisor, Rob Devitt and the interim CEO Ken Deane.
“Natalie Mehra from the Ontario Health Coalition, myself and Rick McClean who is co-chair of the CKHC met with Mr. Devitt and Mr. Deane. We presented our side that public health care services needed to be local, needs to be stable, needs to be vibrant and they were gracious. They listened, they told us really what was entailed in their work and so I left the meeting with a positive feeling.”
Roebuck said the health coalition is organizing a public meeting for Tuesday, October 18.
“We hope everybody that is reading the Sydenham Current will come out to our meeting,” she said. “We are going to talk about whats happening regarding our hospital and what’s happening with our health care all over the province. As well, we are going to have our surveys available and we are going to talk about that campaign.
Roebuck said they are also going to have a speaker from Water Wells First.
“On some level, we are both fighting for the same thing and that is the health of our communities,” she said.
“So we thought we would give them a chance to talk about their issue. So anybody that really wants to listen to Water Wells First folks, they can hear that and stay for the coalition and we hope the coalition folks will receive the Water Wells First speaker politely.”
The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. at the UAW Hall on Elm Street in Wallaceburg.
