I once again find it very interesting to read the letter to the editor from Jane Havens, Chair of the Public General Hospital Board, in response to my “rantings to every local media outlet on the local health care issue” which supports the closure of the Sydenham Campus ER.
I’m not really sure she understands my “uninformed, uneducated statements and claims,” so I will try to help her out a bit, if I can.
Unlike Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury, Erieau and apparently most of Essex County, we have an Emergency Department already in our Wallaceburg community. None of the communities you mention are having any of their access to emergency room care changed.
None of them are being told that they have to drive further to get to an emergency department before their loved ones can start to receive care in a hospital environment.
How does the fact that other communities have to drive or have a significant amount of time to get to an emergency room make it wrong for us to have ours?
As to your question “is the death rate higher for those residents living in Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Erieau?”
In all likelihood, if they had access to closer emergency room care their death rate could be lower. Unfortunately these are statistics we will never have as they do not have emergency room care right within their communities to make this comparison.
Most people make choices as to where they wish to live being fully aware of the health care services for their area. The residents in our Wallaceburg, Walpole Island, South St. Clair and area chose to build a hospital in 1959 because we wanted to have our health care, especially our emergency room health care, closer. Something none of the communities you have mentioned chose to do.
So why are you trying to compare them to our situation here?
They are not being asked to change anything in relation to how they receive emergency care when needed. But yet we are and you see it wrong for us to question the capital plan?
The coordinated effort you refer to between ambulances, fire and hospitals that makes sure someone who is experiencing an emergency gets to the very best place for care has been in place and continues to work well in Chatham-Kent.
How does closing the Sydenham Campus ER improve this excellent, already in place coordinated care?
I stand by my statement “the closure of the Sydenham Campus ER would represent a significant reduction in emergency health care access to over 20,000 citizens no matter how you try to package it.”
If you close the Sydenham Campus ER and tell me to drive 22 kilometers to the next available emergency room for my health care you have reduced my access.
I fully agree with your statement that “the health care debate sparks a lot of passion in individuals and communities, but logic and reason must also come to the debate every once in a while.”
We only wish you had followed your own advice when drawing up your Capital Plan.
Doug Babbitt
Wallaceburg
– Photo: Doug Babbitt at a recent SDH members meeting in Wallaceburg.
They want to close our hospital but 3 days ago my friend was taken to hospital was suppose to be admitted and Chatham stated they had no beds, SO TELL ME AGAIN why the heck they want to close Wallaceburg Hospital??? Gives us back out beds and services,
I refuse to go to Chatham as they have very rude staff there, took my aunt there and the lady they registered us was very rude. thats not the first time. many time I have been there people waiting to register yet there they sit cause the people working are chatting it up or texting since when do they get paid not to do their jobs? sad part is Chatham claiming that St Joesphs hospital is still there funny thing they closed that hospital closed down years ago.
STOP TRYING TO CLOSE DOWN OUR HOSPITAL
Thank you Doug Babbit. Wallaceburg needs building up, not tearing down.
Well said Doug they again are trying their best to confuse the public about access to primary care and emergency care!
Further adding to the public confusion the CEO has an article out there about how the Chatham hospital is addressing long patient emergency room wait times, closing the Wallaceburg’s Emergency Department and Helipad is not the answer to this issue. They will be stacking patients up in the Chatham Hospital hallways like cord wood now that is good service wow.