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t . r /. t 4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, August 31,1994 Section Two Opinions and Comments Age is a Quality Of Mind by Gord Mills, M.P.F, Durham In last week's column I finished up by telling you that I would tell you this week about the delay in getting getting "my dad's hip replaced," and how more often than not the delays are being blamed on the social contract contract or the NDPÜ! Waiting times depend on the patient's patient's condition, demand, availability availability of resources and physicians' schedules. Times vary from institution institution to institution as well as from physician to physician. Physicians determine need and urgency urgency of patients requiring care. They monitor the condition of patients patients for appropriate treatment, generally generally speaking, over the past year the trend has been towards more procedures, procedures, and fewer patients waiting. The ministry monitors radiotherapy, and cardiac surgery waiting lists on a monthly basis. There is a centralized referral system for cardiac surgery and radiotherapy that refers patients to other centres within the province - according to urgency and need - to ensure timely access to services. Our' government's improvements to Ontario's Ontario's cardiac surgery, radiotherapy, and bone marrow transplantation services, services, means more resources and increased increased service. Waiting list management management systems will be developed for Dialysis services and Bone Marrow Transplant Emergency procedures are performed immediately. For orthopedic surgery there is no tracking system, patient scheduling is done by the physician at each hospital. hospital. Waiting times vary from physician physician to physician and institution to institution. institution. The Provincial Adult and Pediatric Care Networks have developed developed a centralized referral system to manage waiting times for cardiovascular cardiovascular surgery. Regional Co ordinators located in participating institutions institutions help facilitate referrals within, and between regions. They provide information to patients and their families, and physicians, and physicians about waiting times, reasons reasons for cancellations and any other information required to redirect patients patients from centres with longer waiting waiting lists to centres which can treat patients patients sooner. The current waiting time for elective elective adult open-heart surgery is between between eight to ten weeks. For radiation therapy the Ontario Cancer Treatment and research Foundation Foundation and the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital has developed a centralized referral system system to better manage waiting times. At the time of referral to the participating participating centres, patients are priorized according to urgency by the physician physician specialists. The provincial waiting waiting time average for radiation therapy is 4.6 weeks. The Ministry of Health is working with the Provincial Bone Marrow Transplant Network Committee to develop a computerized BMT registry registry to provide current information on the number of people waiting for transplants. The number of BMTs performed in the province has doubled doubled since 1990, to about 500. There is no current central tracking system for dialysis services. In the past four years this government has spent $30 million to expand dialysis services. Contrary to the press, all patients who need dialysis treatment in Ontario Ontario receive it. Constituents who have concerns regarding care they received in hospital hospital should consider the following: - a patient advocate or social worker at the facility. Break and Enter in Oshawa CRIME STOPPERS and the DURHAM REGIONAL POLICE are asking for the PUBLIC'S help in solving three Break and Enter and Thefts which occurred in Oshawa on the weekend of July 22nd. Between 4 p.m. on the 22nd of July and 9am the following morning unknown suspects entered the Sun- row Building 172 King Street East through the front doors. Once inside the suspects pried open three office doors to gain entry to the following three businesses: Economical Mutual Insurance, Durham Computer and Accounting Solutions and the third, Abbott Drafting. Stolen from Abbott Drafting were three personal computers. Two of the computers were NCR models and the third was a IBM, model DX66, 486 with a SVGA 14" monitor. Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects responsible for this crime or any other serious offence offence is asked to call CRIME STOPPERS. STOPPERS. The Police Service needs the PUBLIC to become involved in Crime Prevention and by phoning in your information you can assist. As a caller you won't be asked to identify yourself or have to go to Court. If an arrest is made as a result of your tip then you qualify for a Cash Reward of up to $1000. The Durham Regional Crime Stoppers phone number is: 436-8477 that's 436-TIPS Sergeant Grant ARNOLD is the coordinator with the Program and writes this article to help combat crime. - a letter to the CEO, the administrator, administrator, or the chair of the board of the hospital. Hospitals receive global funding from the Ministry of Health, but are independent facilities. As a result, complaints should go to the facility facility directly. I hope that the above information has been of some help to you. Since the introduction of photo radar radar last week I have read many articles articles and editorials with different points of view. As a government we didn't just sit down to see what we could think up to take more money out of everyone's pocket. As the Parliamentary Parliamentary Assistant to the Solicitor General I was part of the preliminary discussions centred on the introduction introduction of photo radar with the OPP, long before it was presented to our caucus. I also knew that the proposal would be unpopular with my colleagues. colleagues. After all, who would want to introduce anything as controversial in the run-up to a provincial election? My judgement proved correct. But the question I asked over and over, and I might add presented somewhat passionately in the debate in the Legislature Legislature was, how much longer can we keep paying out over $9-billion, that's right $9-billion, every year in costs directly attributed to traffic accidents? accidents? 1,000 people are killed and 90,000 injured on Ontario highways every year. 85 per cent of collisions are caused by driver error and speeding is the most common driver error in fatal crashes. I believe that if we have the tools to change those numbers and save lives, we have a responsibility to act. From what I have noticed driving the 401 and 400 in the last week, people seem to have slowed down to a point that it is now noticeable. People can. really drive nicely, it can be done and I for one am very pleased. Until next week - much of what is done in the world today is to make things appear different than they really really are. by Gord Mills MPP Durham East There isn't any doubt that seniors are the mainstay of any community. They lend their wisdom, ensure continuity continuity of culture and knowledge, and on a smaller scale but even more importantly, importantly, fill vital needs for loving and caring within their own families. Yet, because of the way our society society has been structured, some elderly people have had to leave their own family homes when they could no longer completely care for themselves, themselves, or when the kind of care they needed was beyond the skills of those who loved them most. This is a fact which has distressed older folk and their families. Now, the custom of leaving home for a hospital or institution is changing, changing, and I am pleased to be able to tell you that the government has passed legislation which will change the way long-term care for the elderly elderly or disabled is delivered in Ontario. Along with the legislation our government government has earmarked $647-million to finance the transition to community community based care. The traditional methods of planning planning and delivering services have not been working. For instance, an estimated estimated $4-billion was spent on inappropriate inappropriate or unnecessary treatment for seniors in one year alone; this money could more usefully be spent on disease prevention and health promotion. promotion. The changes in the law and funding funding will, I hope, enhance the options open to seniors in Durham East, who should find it easier to stay in their own homes, or the homes of family, as alternatives to hospital or homes for the elderly. The plan is to make available a range of services to people in their own homes, visiting nurses, visiting homemakers, meal programs, transportation, transportation, respite opportunities, so that a family member who is the main caregiver can take a holiday or other break. The goal of the legislation is to support an older person's independence independence wherever possible and for as long as possible. And if elderly people do, eventually eventually require long-term care in a facility, facility, they will have, a voice in deciding where they will live - close to their relatives if that is their choice. Most importantly, in my view, is that older folk themselves will be involved involved in the decisions. In fact, that has been the direction of your government government throughout. As William Shakespeare said, "Age is a quality of mind" and I support support that theory. OFA Wants Rebate Extended The Ontario Federation of Agriculture Agriculture (OFA) is demanding the Ontario Ontario government extend the farm tax rebate program immediately. "If this isn't done, this fall's 1994 rebate could be the last one Ontario farmers see," said President Roger George. A resolution passed at the OFA's August 17 Board of Directors' meeting meeting calls on Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Elmer Buchanan Buchanan and the government to renew the Order-in-Council that provides for the rebate program so that it would continue for the next five years. Mr. George said "the Order expires this year, and the OFA is not interested in hollow election promises of support for farm tax rebate program. If we allow allow ourselves to believe election platitudes, platitudes, the next government could very well come back and tell us it's sorry, but there's no money available." available." Mr. George told the OFA board that "this is the only existing instrument instrument that addresses the ongoing farm property tax disparity, and farmers need the security of knowing there will be a rebate despite the upcoming election," Minister Buchanan announced, the following day, that the rebate for this year would be raised to 75 percent percent from 73 percent, and while the OFA feels this was encouraging for Ontario farmers, it is demanding a continued commitment from the government. government. "This government still lacks the fortitude to address the fundamental fundamental issue of education tax on productive productive farm land and buildings," Mr. George said. "Despite encouraging recommendations in the Fair Tax Report, Report, Premier Rae shows no signs of fixing this inequity. Farmers need longterm assurances while they continue continue to wait for a government with enough political backbone to grapple with this situation." by Laura /. Richards Another interesting place on the tour was the exhibition of over 80 quilts. Wow! The patience of the women who designed and made these quilts astounded me. The exquisitely made, tiny stitches From Page 3 few childless adults were able to take a shoe home. Thanks, Anne! To round off the day, my friend and I headed back to El va Reid's place on Ganaraska Road 9 to see how are what make many of the quilts so the day had gone, outstanding. While others oohed and Everyone was just starting to pack aahed over the quilt made by Lucy it in and everyone looked happy. A Maude Montgomery's dressmaker, I good sign, in my books! was wowed by a white quilt that was stictched with a beige colored thread to give it depth. The other interesting location was the Clarke Museum and Archives on Sunday. Anne Negri, a local farrier, demonstrated how she makes horseshoes. horseshoes. It was simply amazing what she can do with a piece of metal, a forge, lumbia, Florida and Scotland. an anvil, some tools and a hammer. Hats off to the organizers: El va While she did give away most of Reid, Kristen McCrea and all the the horseshoes to children, a lucky SAGA members who made it happen! It seems many people -- about three times last year's numbers -- had been out on the tour. As for a total tally, that will come soon. While selling tickets on Saturday morning people were from a number of places, including Bowmanville, Fenelon Falls, Toronto, British Co- The federal civil service is paid, on average, a salary 20 per cent higher higher - regardless of the job - than people people in the private sector doing the same job. What is it civil servants do at work that is any different from you or me working in the private sector? From my vantage point, Canada's federal bureaucracy is top-heavy with aged management and outmoded ways of doing things. While industry has been forced to seek new and innovative ways of looking after customers, the bureaucrats bureaucrats just plod along. What's worse is that this stifles innovative innovative managerial ideas at the lower lower levels of the civil service. The younger talent gets fed up and leaves for the private sector. And of course the younger civil servants who are going to end up as the future dead wood, hide underneath underneath their desks shuffling the paperwork paperwork (and your problems) on to the next desk, satisfied they have done a good day's work and deserve their accumulated sick days, their 20 per cent higher pay cheques, their Ilex hours, their Fridays off in the summertime summertime and their professional development development time while you, who pay for all of this, still don't have your problem problem dealt with. Do I sound to harsh?..,Perhaps. There arc many fine people in the civil service I recognize this. 1 deal with them every day. True civil ser vants, not professional obstructionists. obstructionists. But the civil service has become too large and resistant to change and is failing to be responsive to the needs of the people it is there to serve. Government should introduce practices which would remunerate civil servants based on ability, achievement, results, and most of all public satisfaction. This doesn't mean government departments departments should have to make money. money. They're not there to do that. But public satisfaction, ability, achievement, achievement, results these are goals no business business would reject. Yet public servants servants seem to have long deemed these goals irrelevant. In every aspect, our government system is governed by sets of rules and regulations. And from my vantage vantage point, these rules and regulations become the objectives for civil servants. servants. Consequently, it is irrelevant how inconvenienced a taxpayer is, in say trying to get his UI cheque, as long as several clerks at the UI office have been unable to deduce that the paper work was not filled out properly. This is a costly system. If a department department gets bogged down trying to interpret rules to the public, then the civil service's answer is to hire more people to interpret them or get a machine machine and a 1-800 number that doesn't answer the questions when you finally get through. Wouldn't a system based on public public satisfaction be a lot cheaper? Curtailing civil service costs using across-the-board freezes in salary has served to further stifle innovation within the bureaucracy. The civil service service itself decided to curtail incremental incremental increases and cost of living increases. Since senior managers would have only modest cost of living increases, the major brunt is carried by junior members who have recently chosen this career path. This creates less incentive incentive for them to stay with government. government. Programs like Total Quality Control Control and Civil Service 2000 were attempts attempts by the civil service to put ability, ability, achievement, results and public satisfaction into the system. Point of fact they have been unacceptably slow to do this. It is time to demand our civil service service be more responsive to your needs. And demand they be remunerated remunerated based on ability and not tenure. The way the civil service operates now is unacceptable. Not until the civil service regards you as a customer customer - which you arc - will Canadians get what they are paying for. Remember, they arc there for you not for themselves. 1 will be working during this term of Parliament to instill some of these ideas in the minds of MPs and cabinet cabinet ministers. |V; V 1