Durham backs Ajax fight to keep hospital services
Tue Apr 22, 2008
By: By Reka Szekely
DURHAM -- Durham Region Council unanimously backed a resolution from the Town of Ajax asking the Province to stop the transfer of services from the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital to Scarborough. At issue is a plan to move 20 in-patient mental health beds from Ajax to Rouge Valley Centenary. The motion called on local members of provincial parliament to urge the Rouge Valley Health System and Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to rescind their decision. As well, it called on the Province to designate the Ajax facility a full-service hospital and prohibit the transfer of services to Centenary. Regional councillors voted on the issue Wednesday after hearing from Bill Parish, a representative of Friends of the Ajax-Pickering hospital, who had called on council to unanimously support Ajax's motion. "I think the support of the Region is tremendous. They helped so much to stop the transfer of the obstetrical beds in 2005," said Mr. Parish, adding he's pleased Durham's other municipalities are supporting the motion as well. Councillors also agreed that one of the problems was a lack of representation of elected figures on hospital boards. "We as an elected body have no say and they didn't want to hear from us and we're seeing the results now," said Whitby Councillor Gerry Emm. Councillors also passed a motion to invite LHIN representatives to appear before Durham council. Regional Chairman Roger Anderson cautioned that moving services would have consequences when the hospital asked Durham for money. "We fund our hospitals because they make a community ... we aren't going to do it if these organizations think they can pick up services and move them willy nilly," he said. "It's just not going to happen." Several councillors discussed the funding gap for health services in Durham. The 905-area gets $220 less per person for hospital services than the provincial average. Oshawa Coun. April Cullen, who also chairs the Region's Health and Social Services committee, said it's time to stop addressing the crises that come up in a piecemeal fashion. "We're so busy putting out fires, we're not preventing fires in the first place," she said. She's said it's essential to look out for the Region's most vulnerable people, including mental health patients, people having babies or receiving treatment for conditions like cancer. "If we can't look after those people, what kind of community do we have?" So far, Brock and Uxbridge have supported Ajax's motion. "This is about community and the community of Durham Region is standing together," said Uxbridge Coun. Howie Herrema. Pickering passed the motion at its executive committee and the other municipalities are likely to pass similar motions. "Whitby council will be dealing with this in two weeks and I can assure you there's a tremendous amount of support," said Whitby Mayor Pat Perkins.