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Hospital thrust into election arenaoncordia may curb crisis serviceBy Paul SamynLegislature Reporter * * * a—i i B III | | Will -ONCORDIA GENERAL Hospital is considering closing its emergency department from midnight to 8 a.m., a plan that has pushed debate on the facility’s future into the middle of a crucial by-election race.The Tories, meanwhile, appear ready to reverse an unpopular policy decision and allow the hospital to put into use a CAT scanner it purchased but was never allowed to use.But the government was accused yesterday by the NDP of plotting a good news/bad news scenario for the residents of the East Kildonan riding of Rossmere, near where the hospital is located.“This is certainly the worst andmost cynical part of this; they are trying to skate this decision (about the ward closing) past the byelection period, NDP Leader Gary Doer said.But Health Minister Don Orchard denied that any announcement about Concordia’s emergency ward is linked to the byelections.Rossmere is a key riding for the Tories in the Sept. 21 vote. The Fil-mon government needs to hold the seat—vacated by Tory MLA Harold Neufeld who fought behind the scenes over Concordia before he quit — if it is to avoid political gridlock in the legislature.According to minutes from a July29 special meeting of the Urban Health Advisory Committee, Concordia is considering nighttime closings of its emergency ward — the third busiest in the city — to save $280,000 a year.The minutes also show that Seven Oaks Hospital will be closing as many as 42 beds by Nov. 1.Orchard said no decision will be made until after the study is released, likely sometime in September.Hospital officials also stressed the plan is merely under consideration.Ed Martens, the Tory candidate trying to fill Neufeld’s shoes, thrust Concordia deeper into the byelection fray by arguing against a government policy that has kept the hospital’s CAT scanner largely unused.Martens has pledged to go right to the top to ensure that the $1 million scanner—paid for by the hospital’s fundraising efforts — can finally serve its patients.But according to minutes released yesterday from a June 18 meeting, deputy health minister Frank Maynard told Concordia officials that CAT scanners may be approved for community hospitals in the future if such is required for centres of excellence.The province has refused to let such privately funded high-tech equipment as Concordia’s CAT scanner be used if it believes there are already enough in Manitoba.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Fri, Aug 27, 1993
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jay F.
CA 28 Jul 2020
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