From today’s Chronicle Herald
Annapolis ER closure feared
Woman: Health authority to hold public meetings to discuss shutdown
By GORDON DELANEY and JOHN McPHEE Staff Reporters
Wed. Feb 3 – 4:53 AM
Some Annapolis County residents are expressing concerns over the possible closure of the emergency room at the Annapolis Community Health Centre in Annapolis Royal.
“Health care is threatened in Annapolis Royal,” Sharon Cranton of Bridgetown wrote Tuesday in an email to The Chronicle Herald.
“The regional health authority is considering closing the emergency room services at the centre.”"
She said the Annapolis Valley district health authority is planning public meetings in Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal for Feb. 11 and 15 to discuss the possible closure.
“This means there could be no reliable emergency room service between Middleton and Yarmouth.”
Ms. Cranton said the NDP campaigned on a promise not to close rural emergency rooms.
“In fact, keeping emergency rooms open ranks as No. 2 in Darrell Dexter’s Plan For Today’s Families,” she wrote.
“The provincial Department of Health and the regional health authority need to know how much we value our local health centre.
“The fallout from reduced access to emergency room services will severely impact the health of our citizens and the well-being of our community.”
Ms. Cranton is urging citizens to write to the minister of health to express their concerns.
“In our area, there are a lot of elderly people,” she said in an interview. “They depend on the emergency room . . . if there something is wrong with them.
“I think the public have a right to know what’s going on.”
Health Minister Maureen MacDonald told reporters Tuesday she plans to meet with people in Annapolis Royal to discuss the issue.
“At this stage, there is certainly no plan to close emergency services.”
Ms. MacDonald said there has been a meeting with physicians in the area to better understand the situation and find possible solutions.
“We will continue to work through that process of understanding what the problems are and meeting with the local officials,” she said.
“Our priority is to ensure that people have high-quality emergency services in a timely fashion.”
A health authority spokeswoman was not available for comment by news deadline Tuesday.
Ms.Thurber and Ms.Atwell have hit the nail on the head…….I’d go so far as to say that if we don’t come out of our little corners where “we sit on our own eggs” (forgive me, but I grew up on a small farm and the images have adhered ever since) and join hand in hand accross south west Nova Scotia-not so much on the particular issues we reject but as to the flawed process they reflect -namely, participatory democracy : the bottom line whereby “our servants” talk to “their masters” before they drop their wedded arogance and indifference on the people who elect them.
Some sociologist will someday write about us (again), and may even make a joke of us for allowing political leaders -as they so strategically do for their own interests- divide and conquer us! (I’ve seen them smile at us when they have once again succeeded.)
If we don’t get it pretty soon, we won’t be here to read it, but he or she will have a Best Seller on his/her hands which speaks about how our governments at every level, imposed “virtual genocide” on the once proud and resilient people of south west Nova Scotia….
Let’s put down the village,ferry,and political walls once for all…..Maybe we need some local rallies to get to know and trust each other. Maybe we can learn to disagree on our respective issues without disliking or even hating each other for it.
To other wise is to die as a people. Mark my words! danny
ps: when passing by and my vehicle is here, likely so am I….Drop in…..We need a meeting of our minds…..d
By: danmills on February 7, 2010
at 10:55 am
I am in agreement with both writers – something certainly needs to be done.
In the Voice of the People in the Chronicle Herald – todays’ date – Bruce Devenne has a petition site – Calling for full disclosure and investigation re the new fiasco that is going on now with the expenditures of this government – the site is http://www.petitiononline.com/BDevenne/petition.html and when you click on the site you can vote. Justice for Nova Scotia taxpayers.
I wonder if the people of Nova Scotia could go to our L-Governor and have this government prorogued for good?????????????? I think it is about time to think about.
It was great to see so many communities uniting together re the Cat issue in Yarmouth. We need to unite for all of the issues that are taking place – it is about time for democracy and get back what is what we the people want in our community our nurse Karen Snider back!!!!!!
By: Kathryn Thurber on February 7, 2010
at 9:20 am
Here we go again … on all issues, it seems that Southwest Nova is not worthy of the benefits other areas of Nova Scotia enjoy. Who made that decision, and then forgot to send us the memo?
Having said that, we must not be complacent; let our government know, by whatever means necessary (and legal), that this is not acceptable.
We need to remind the government that they are public servants (operative word – servant), and as such are accountable to the people who entrust them with the care of our province. Of most import is health care (includes opportunities for active, healthy living, i.e. preventative medicine, as well as enough medical practitioners, hospitals/health centres/walk-in clinics, and emergency rooms).
By: Wanda Atwell on February 5, 2010
at 8:57 am
I share your pain and I hope you fare better than we did with our Nurse practioner they removed. They now have 5 professionals (paying their traveling + accomodation expenses, in some instances) doing the work of the one resident NP we had. They withdrew support for the ferry link from Yarmouth to US. They’re talking about the closure of your ER. The Finance Minister, Graham Steele travelling around on his Budget Cutting Consultation and toping it off with the current scancal with all MP’s excessives spending. If it were the average person they’d have us all locked up by now for theft and fraud. If they want to save some dollars eliminate some of these Regional Health boards with their CEO’s salaries and all the related expenses.The CH said the health board was going to pay you a visit. Be wary of their words. Also be aware of their 2008 Respectful Workplace Policy. They have a person hired to screen all correspondence to the Health Dept. so no abusive language reaches the Minister of Health. I guess they don’t read the CH as the comments yesterday about the “expense abuse scandal” were far worse than what I included in my letter to the Minister and I, among others received a letter stating our letters would not be answered because of the language.
By: David Teed on February 5, 2010
at 2:13 pm
Hi David,
I have been watching your nurse practitioner situation with interest, particularly since I am an “islander”. Freeport is near and dear to my heart, and I visit as often as I can. I keep a close watch on my counsin Lindsay Prime’s wife’s comments (Heather). I too, wish you folks all the best and thank you for the “heads up”. There are meetings scheduled for Feb 11 and 15 – I have to find out where and at what time, so I can go and listen and formulate a plan.
I’ve been down this road before during the aquaculture in the Annapolis Basin issues – that we won by the way.
I’m thinking southwest nova needs to unite on many issues; we might get further than each group working on their own?
Wanda Titus-Atwell
By: Wanda Atwell on February 6, 2010
at 9:07 am