On Wednesday, May 15th, 2024 a group of 60 West Grey citizens travelled to the Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Loaded into private cars and a coach bus, they carried with them the hopes of concerned community members, who are clearly much distressed with the issues surrounding our hospital and its probable closure.
They carried a petition signed by over 3,700 citizens which were collected in just 48 hours; asking, that the province act to stop South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC) from implementing the course of actions that are threatening health care in West Grey. The plan is to remove the inpatient beds and restrict the emergency room operating hours from 7am – 5pm.
Further to that, they delivered hundreds of letters to Premier Ford, Health Minister Sylvia Jones and our own MPP, Rick Byers.
At that time, the petition was read into the OLA Record by MPP Adil Shamji. The petition seconded by MPP France Galinas, both of whom have been valued resources to the committee. The petition was accepted by the government, but at the time of this writing we have received no response from either the Minister of Health or the Premier. MPP Byers was present when the petition was presented.
There was a meeting with Mr. Shamji and Mr. Byers which left them in no doubt that our community will not be ignored indefinitely by the SBGHC Board.
A press conference was also held that day. Speaking on behalf of Save Durham Hospital Support Group were Dawn Watson-McNab, Kris Kennedy and Mayor Kevin Eccles.
ON May 21st , 2024 Save the Durham Hospital Community Group organized a March through the Town of Durham from the Community Centre arriving at the Hospital to show our support to the staff at the hospital and to allow members of the community to tell their stories of how Durham Hospital has affected their lives. A large crowd of hundreds turned out to listen to the speakers and show their feelings regarding the decision made by the board of South Bruce Grey Health Centre to close the inpatient unit consisting of 10 beds and relocate them to Kincardine and Walkerton Hospitals and reduce the emergency room hours to 7am-5pm daily. A community member asked if the beds are currently in use and was told that all 10 beds were occupied last night.
Local resident Tony Luciano, an internationally known photographic artist talked about his ability to nurse his mother at home through her dementia diagnosis which led to his exhibition detailing his mother’s illness. He said the only reason he could nurse his mother through the eight years of her illness was due to the care she received so close to home at Durham Hospital.
Jana White Co-Chair of Save the Durham Hospital Committee read the story of one our senior residents recalled ““my husband also requires dialysis treatment four times per day. Because of this, I have had to drive to the hospital four times per day with his warmed and prepared dialysis treatment in order to give this to him. If I had to drive to Walkerton or Kincardine this would be impossible for us. I am very concerned for my family and for our community of Durham.”
Another resident recalled a horrific car accident in her youth that resulted in her being transported the short distance to Durham Hospital where she had to spend seven days as an inpatient close to home in her own community. She also told of an incident years later where she went to see her family doctor who told her she was too sick to go home and she was to go immediately to the hospital where she was admitted. How would she be able to drive to Walkerton or Kincardine when she was too sick to even drive to her home 5 minutes away?
Other similar stories were shared and the same message was clear, we need access to health care in our community, both for emergencies and inpatient care! Liberal Health Critic MPP Adil Shamji made the long drive from Queen’s Park to again show his support to the residents of West Grey as did Ontario Nurses Association ONA representative Alan Warrington. Both voiced their support and criticized the decisions made by SBGHC.
The Friends of Chesley Hospital were in attendance to voice their support as Chesley Hospital is also under threat by SBGHC. Local MPP Rick Byers also spoke to voice his support.
WHAT WAS MADE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR WAS …
“THE LOCAL CITIZENS OF DURHAM AND WEST GREY DO NOT ACCEPT THE DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SOUTH BRUCE GREY HEALTH CENTRE TO DISMANTLE THE DURHAM HOSPITAL. THE COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL THIS DECIOSN IS REVERSED AND THE HOSPITAL HAS RETURNED TO FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY.”
visit Facebook Page “Save the Durham Hospital”
Visit: www.savethedurhamhospital
