Letter to the editor

“ If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” How many times have you heard that?

A few years ago our hospital was working fine ,all was well and we operated in the black, yes, here we go again. You may think we are whining and would just go away but I don’t think that is going to happen. We are now in the red and seem to be just blindly drifting along in this amalgamation as well there doesn’t seem to be much harmony among the workers. Does QHC stand for Quinte Health Care or Quinte Health Corporation. A corporation is a legal entity on its own in which the stockholders and the board of Directors are in control. Is that who controls us? Care is what the workers give to those who need it, whether ill being in hospital, or ill at home, whether they live in Belleville, Toronto or Picton.

As I was a patient for 5 days this past week in the Picton hospital and I had excellent care. I had the opportunity to ask a few questions. As of then 2 nurses had already left due to a conflict and another may. One nurse said she was ok with the pay but not the working conditions and plans on doing other health related things. As for the kitchen, I know that they don’t serve gourmet meals but is a healthy meal out of the question? Friday dinner was roast beef. Saturday dinner was dried up roast beef that I could not chew but had to pull pieces off chew awhile then take it out of my mouth. I could not eat it. I heard that the reason for the plastic cutlery on weekends is because they can’t afford to have someone wash the regular cutlery. Surely with the pay raise that the executives get they might be able to spend a bit on real cutlery and forget about the pay raise for once. Are the plastic ones that much cheaper? I was told that when our meals were prepared in the kitchen it was easier and more nutritious . A friend whose husband was in hospital 6 years ago enjoyed very good meals while there. I suppose it is beyond those in charge to start our kitchen up again or would that be too much trouble? The rooms were cleaned and mopped every day which was most assuring .

I asked while in x-ray if it was still going to be and also asked about the mammogram machine. Yes, I was told but there will be changes in September. When I spoke with Mr Burgess and asked if we would have our hospital and he said as long as he was there we would not lose our hospital but with that response I forgot to ask, equipped with what? Would we have a place of empty rooms filled with empty beds, chairs and other things. Of course the building would be there unless someone bought it for something else or a nursing home. No doubt we need nursing homes but we need a hospital that looks after the sick the way a hospital is supposed to do with a happy and harmonius staff.

The big hospitals work differently and have bigger and different problems. We are not a big hospital and should not have the same problems but our goal should be to look after the sick.

As for having a baby, is it not a normal happening? Granted there are cases that need expert care but the majority of women can deliver a baby without all the new technology you may think they need. With the birth rate being 1 or 2 babies per family not the 5 or 6 that used to be , the maternity area is not going to be as busy. Could not 2 or 3 rooms be kept for those mothers who wish to deliver their baby near home in the county? Try and talk a baby about to be born to wait till we get to Belleville whose parents may have driven in from one of our points. Closing the maternity ward? Sorry. Mr Smithermin, Mr Laughton. Mr Churchill, Mr Burgess and others will not have the opportunity to have labour pains so have no idea what goes on.

This amalgamation doesn’t seem to be working out as the higher ups described, but who is going to say “we made a mistake”.

Have you a solution for creating harmony, easing tensions and delivering better food?

You may have a higher education and lofty ideas but do any have any common sense to them? Or do we have to accept fewer choices?