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Residents tell LHIN they want two hospitals
Friday January 11, 2008
- Brampton Guardian
More than 200 people turned up at an emotionally charged public meeting Wednesday night to discuss the fate of the now defunct Peel Memorial Hospital.
And the message to Queen's Park was overwhelmingly clear: Bramptonians want two fully functioning hospitals.
"We were told Peel Memorial Hospital would remain open," shouted resident Roz Feldman. "The new hospital was supposed to be our second hospital, not our first hospital."
Held at Pearson Convention Center in Brampton's east end, the forum was organized by the Central West Local Health Integration Network in a bid to gather public input on the site's future.
At the outset, residents were divided into a dozen small groups and asked what services they think should be located at PMH.
The approached managed to generate a well of ideas - keeping the emergency department open being the most common suggestion - but the meeting soon turned sour as residents vented their frustrations at a report that suggests PMH has to be torn down.
Several people in the audience stood up and hurled abuses at Barbara Pitts of PricewaterhouseCoopers when she concluded the old hospital is too outdated to house patient services.
It took several tries before the meeting could resume, although emotions continued to run high.
One woman was booed when she suggested the property be sold off and the money used to build a new, state-of-the-art facility.
"When today I see (in The Brampton Guardian) Peel Memorial too old to be renovated, I went through hell," said John Cutruzzola. "The citizens of Brampton paid for that hospital and no report from any technician will ever convince me that we can't save Peel Memorial Hospital."
Many in the crowd accused the government of having a hidden agenda.
Cutruzzola said he considered the report just an excuse to shut PMH down, while others expressed fears the government will sell the property to pay off Brampton Civic, the first hospital in Ontario built under a public-private partnership model.
Another man called the Liberal Government liars.
"Why were we lied to two months ago during election time that there will be two hospitals?" the man asked.
PMH was closed on Oct. 28 with the launch of Brampton Civic Hospital, and has long been touted as being the centrepiece of a region-wide health care strategy.
The Central West LHIN, one of 14 newly minted health care districts comprised of Brampton, Caledon, Dufferin County, Woodbridge and north Etobicoke, is singled out as being one of the most under-serviced areas in Ontario.
During the recent provincial election, Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman restated a $95 million pledge to redevelop the site as either a specialized surgical or ambulatory care facility, or even a birthing centre.
Any other scenario, such as opening up a second emergency department, would be difficult, as it would all come down to resources.
LHIN chair Joe McReynolds explained that operating PMH as a full-fledged hospital would require some 400 nurses for instance, a commodity that is in short supply in this province.
"Finding 400 nurses in Ontario isn't easy," McReynolds told the crowd.
But many in the audience were adamant that Brampton requires two fully operational hospitals, given this city's population is bursting at the seams.
The opening of Brampton Civic Hospital was supposed to beef up the number of patient beds (720) and improve access to care.
The closure of PMH leaves Brampton with only 479 beds, a number more in line with Brampton's population in 1984.
"Why (are) the resources always the reason why Brampton cannot have adequate health care?" Cutruzzola asked. "The people of Brampton did not waste the resources. They pay taxes and they expect the same treatment and the same access to health care as any other part of this country. I don't want to hear anymore that there are no resources. You find the resources because everyone in Brampton deserves the same as the guy in Oakville."
Brampton's leading business organization said it will continue to pressure the government to keep PMH open.
"We as the Board of Trade are going to maintain this fight," said Carman McClelland, in-coming Brampton Board of Trade president. "We (Bramptonians) are woefully below provincial averages (in terms of hospital services) and I don't think we can accept that as a community. We shouldn't and I don't think we can."
McClelland said bringing the structure down is a terrible notion and claimed there is $100 million worth of assets located on the Lynch Street site.
He suggested a portion of PMH be kept open while renovations are done.
Another meeting is slated for Jan. 17, this time at Courtyard by Marriott, 90 Biscayne Crt.
The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
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