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Whitby Free Press, 19 Jan 1977, p. 1

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Ilex ýKalinins Free Press colurnnist photographing incid en t at Mississaiga Hospital' isch arged. by police Whitby Free Press Coium- nist Alex Kainins, a reporter of news for 17 years, made news' himnseif htst week when he was chiarged by Peel Regional Police withi assauit- J ng a police officer with the intent to resist arrest, and obstructing police. Police have denied that Mr. Kainins was roughed up wlile' trying to photograph the ârrival of a mental patient at the.- Mississauga Generâl Hospital the night of Jan. 1l. Mr.. Kalinins had. stepped out of the hospital after eat-_ ing a meal in the cafeteria wheri he saw an ambulance drive upY and police officers jump out of it. Suspecting that somnething important was happening, hie started taking pictures.' He said he was, told to stop, but flot told why or what the case was about.. Mr. Kainins says he was todby a constable: "We don't have to give yoti any explanation. Just buzz off". He said he repiied he would take pictures of the general scene, and feit the refusai indicated that an important news story might be happening. Mr., Kainins said two officers then came towards him and after grabbing hirn and his camera, started dragging him- towards a cruiser some 30 feet away, even when lie said he would wiliingiy waik to it since he had been piaced under arrest. He, said he was frisked thoroughly at the scene, his amera equipment was snatched and fell to the ground, and* one officer grabbed his right hand so hard that he was* sure the thumnh was broken. Mi. Kainins said he was then pushed to the ground and handcuffed so tightly that the marks from them stili remained Thurs day rnight. He said- he was kept in the cruiser for an hour and refused permission to make a telephone cati. He said police refusèéd to let a- doctor see his' "injured thumb" or even loosen his handcuffs. Copt'd on "P. 2 E)E). PR E s4 Vol. 7, No. 3 Wednesday, January 19, 1977 16 Pages criticize d f or "slipshod approach" to. its emergency The Whitby Psychiatrie Hospital carne under criticisrn for its "slipshod approach" to emergency, care, at an inquest iast Wednesday into the hanging death of a miaie patient. A coroner's jury of five women' stated: "W'e rnote wVith aiarm tlîe slipshod approach to eilergency care as demonstrated by non existent in-serivce instruction, of medical staff on emergencies, a lack of fundamiental equipment for emnergency care, ýnd no written records of equipment inspection by the supply roomi officiais or other staff". The jury also noted that any emiergency care equipment availabie is "in a disorganized state". The jury was investigating the death of George Lavery Meek, 31. who was found hanging by his beit in a hospital washroorn on July 26, 1976. The jury ruled that death was caused by asphyxia, secondary to ha ing, by means of a suicide. In December the hospital came under criticismn for a significant increase in.suicides during 1976, and a provincial investigation was proposed. However, th e province has not as yet decided to oonduct, an investigation. Suicides rose to 10 in 1976, from two in 1975. Coronor David Mosienko termed the emergencymedicai procedures at thé hospitai "obviously loose and not very highiy controiied", foliowing, the resuits of the inquest. He found no fault with the attending nurses but criticized the nursing administration and medieal staff for failing tô train empioyees and provide equipment for such fundamen. tai medical procedures aa' resuscitation. Dr. Mosienko said it was "almost unbeliev- able that a nurse could be ernpl<>yed for eight years and not receive qualifieçl instruc- ti on".. Dr. Mosienko said the hospital did flot havb an endotrachaci tuhe tu openi theptit'brangpsa, and also no electru)-cardliogiuain care nmachine or defribriliator available to start the heart beating. Nurses gave testimiony that external lieart massage and notth.to-nmouth resuisci- tation were applied to Mr. Meek until an. oxygen tank storcd un the floor above arrived about three inuites after the suicide was discov- ered. Testimionly indîcated that the oxygen tank arrivcd without a suction device and the valve had been tampiii-ered -With. Assistant Crown Attorney Neil McCrank said ecpiipnicnt shouild bc checked miore regularly with rigid reèords kept on its condition. Hlowcver,Hlospital Adiniis- trator, Ken Sheehan said the cost would be astronoumical to provide adequate resuis- citation equiipmient and a fully-trained personnel. The hospital currently has an ave rage of'about 460 patients, an d empioys i100 registered nurses and about 225 registered nursing assistants. Patients and staff are dis- tribuited throughout 50 buildings. Mr. Sheehan said the most practical* way to deal with situations such as the suicide on Juiy 26 wouid be to -provide mouth-to-mouth resc uscitation and cardiac massage, and transfer the patient to the Dr. Ruddy Hospital only a few hundred yards away. Mr. Sheehan said he did flot disagree with the criticisms of the -coronor's jury, and stated that a programn of mn-service training is now being organized. Testimony from hospital officiais indicated that a new poiicy is being formnulated for retraining staff in emer- gency procedures every four ,months. Dr. Mosienko stated: "It's now six months later; how long will it be before they dIo starU it?" The suicide of Mr. Meek was termed "unpredic table" by his physiciani, and Mr. Shechan stated tliat Most of the suicides at the hospital in the past year werc just as un predictable. Old Man AWnter is really socking it to us, as can be seen by these s1l<ow-laden trees north of Whitby-. The Toronto Weather Office reports that last week 39 centemetres "of snow felI in this area, equivalent to ail the snow that usually falîs in January. However, this is flot a record. -We are into a real cold snap now, witb temperatures this week averaging a low of miinus 18 to minus 22 degrees Celsius, and a high of minus 12 to minus 15 degrees. There wil be some. moderation of temperature on Friday with- more snow .ikely. Temperatures wil average a low of, minus 10 to minus 15 degrees and a -high of minus five to minus eight degrees. So far, snowfall this winter is about the same as last year, but is reported to be above normal. Photo by Alex Kainins Sentences served con currently Whitby man gets four-.year' sentence on rape charge & year for abduction A Whitby man, John Wayne Lewis, 28, of Craydon Rd,., received a four year sentence Friday on a rape charge, one year concurrent on an abduction charge, and six months concurrent on a possession of a dangerous wecipon chiarges. The charges a ro.se f'rei ,ii inceident l hiaiNuvemhier I15 when Lewis apparently picKea up an i 8-year-old femnale hitch-hiker in Oshawa, and, threatening her with a gun., drove her against her will to a rural spot north of the city whiere he îappatrently- rapedl the wonan, and forccd lier to comnmit findecent acts. The possession chaý-rgeývas for a nllier inicîdei tlu vilig during an argument with a mri at his home. Lewis is aiso reportcd to have attemipt- ed to, abduct a I 6-year-old girl, ailso in Oshiaw.-two daiys priQr to tie rape case. Lewis' pleaded guilty to thec chiarge Dec. 1 3 in Oshiawa provincial court1 and wvas remlanded iii ctisody periding, Assistant Crowvn Attorney Ted Howeii said aithough Lewis had a long criminal record, lie had no convictions of a similar nature. Defence counsel George Pollitt of Oshiawa- said-Lewis had been suffe ring severe emnotional and niarriage probleins at the time, but hiad since reconcile d, wîthv his .Wife. I E I Suicide inquest Hospital is BEAUTIFUL, BUT COLD!

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