LETTER: WHY WE SHOULD CARE AND ENGAGE. CAUTIONARY TALE ABOUT HOSPITALS

LETTER TO EDITOR:

A Barrie doctor recently shared her colleague’s experience in a Winnipeg hospital, of the fallout from the attempted consolidation of hospital services among Winnipeg hospitals in 2017.

The Winnipeg Free Press headlines read: “Tories’ ER consolidation a catastrophic gift that keeps on giving; Streamlined’ system’s disastrous, blundered rollout chased away critically needed staff, leading to soaring wait times.” March 1, 2023
“Tight-fisted Tories stand pat as Winnipeg ER, urgent-care wait times soar.” July 5 2022
“Amalgamation worsened hospital care.” March, 10, 2022
As outlined by Global News, Oct. 7, 2021, based on a Manitoba Ministry of Health concept focused on economic considerations, in 2017 Winnipeg Hospitals consolidated, centralizing services. Doctors urged the government to wait till necessary adaptations supporting changes were in place to ensure the system could absorb them.
Ignoring doctors’ concerns, the government hastened regardless, with fallout including:
• bed shortages
• soaring emergency room wait times
• loss of physicians, nurses and staff who left or retired early rather than change positions or move from lives they had built around their hospitals
• loss of expertise, mentoring of experienced staff
• nursing shortages
• “devastating” economic losses
Those changes are now being reversed at further great expense, each hospital offering the range of services as before.
I also understand from a physician that amalgamation of Sunnybrook with Women’s College Hospital in Toronto also failed and was reversed.

Roma Kassian has been following the hospital story with great interest. She has gained wide respect for her analysis and opinions. Photo Roma Kassian

Notably, south Muskoka doctors have repeatedly, unequivocally expressed that the current MAHC plan falls seriously short of adequately supporting hospital care in South Muskoka.
With the endorsement of 99 per cent of South Muskoka doctors, they submitted their “Care Close to Home, V2” model to MAHC Aug. 29. (Available at https://ssmh.ca/care-close-to-home/ )
Life doesn’t seem to work according to conceptual models, as evidenced by Winnipeg’s failed restructuring among others. With decades of experience caring for us, south Muskoka doctors should be equal partners with elected officials and MAHC in decisions for South Muskoka Hospital’s redevelopment.

Roma Kassian

Port Carling