A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 2, 1994 Specialty medicine raises up healthy financial stakes TRACKING THE money in volved in a specialized medical service is almost like covering the business end of professional — sports. That’s because what's at stake is in the same financial nosebleed territory as the salaries paid to hockey or baseball players, By the time the regional orthopedic surgical service is moved from Kitimat to Prince Rupert this spring, close to $1 million will have been spent. And that doesn’t, include the fees paid to the surgeon or to the anesthetist. “In the short term it may have becn a bit of a blessing that we didn’t get it’ said Terrace Regional Health Care Society chief executive officer Michael Leisinger last week. Mills Memorial Hospital, oper- ated by the society, had made a pitch for the surgical service. “This kind of specialized ser- vice has a big impact with big doliars and a big staffing level,’’ said Leisinger. Because of the size of the ser- vice, and for other reasons, there have been some hard feelings be- tween the parties involved. “We have to get over the temporary division orthopedics has created and wish Prince Rupert well, And we have to turn our attention south to Kitimat so we can help each other,’’ said Leisinger. Michael Leisinger “We have to get over the temporary division orthopedics has created and wish Prince Rupert well, The loss of the service to Kitimat General Hospital is worth an estimated $350,000. Hospital administrater Linda Coles said it’s too early yel to determine how it'll affect the jobs directly connected to orthopedic surgery there, Scrap decal law, says councillor THE BY-LAW requiring com- mercial vehicles to have a special municipal licence and decal is outdated, claims ‘councillor Gor- ~ don Hull. Agreeing with opponents the fegulation served no useful. pur- . pose and was difficult to police in any case, Hull added, ‘I am total- ly opposed (to it).’’ As for claims the regulation made it easier to police illegal parking in loading zones, Hull said he did not accept that argu- ment. The decal requirement should be aropped from city by-laws, he added Councillor ‘Val George dis- agreed, suggesting it was too ear- ly for such action. Given both the RCMP and city by-law enforcement department said the decal would help them da their jobs, “It’s worth a few months trial,’’ he suggested. If it didn’t work, then the city could consider rescinding the 1969 by-law. The section of the Municipal ° Act under which the city by-law operales defines any vehicle “used for the collection or delivery, or both, of merchandise or other commodity in the or-‘~ dinary course of a business un- dertaking’’ as a commercial vehicle. That. very brosd definition could apply to even private cars which are used to make a business-related delivery. However, councillor David Hull Pointed out the city’s solicitors had suggested changes to make the by-law more specific and ensure it effected only vehicles which wete clearly commercial. Council approved a committee recommendation to review the by-law in light of the changes Correction THE WORDING of last week’s story on the Copper River steelhead fishery in- advertently gave the impres- sion ail fishermen on the river were illegally taking steelhead. As noted in ihe second para- graph of that story, conserva- tion officer Ken Fujino said only some anglers were break- ing the regulations. The next paragraph should have read: While he estimated 20 per cent of the infractions were belng committed out of {g- norance, the remalnder were quite deliberate. Suggested by the solicitors and phase in the decal requirement by March 1 this year. “Any ' outstanding ‘issues “after” that date’ were to. be. reviewed. after July 1. Councillors Gordon Hull and Hd Graydon voted against and asked their opposition be re- corded. Decals cost between $25 and $40 depending on.the weight of the vehicle, except for fleets where the rate is $25 per vehicle. They can be obtained at cily hall. The fine for not having a municipal decal is $50, That figure was for expenses, supplies and salaries of hospital employees. It doesn’t include the $227,000 in fees charged to the provincial Medical Services Plan by Dr, Sean Phelan, the | orthopedic surgeon who is now being asked to move. Health ministry spokesman Wynn Horn said the ministry estimates it'll take $400,000 a year to operate. the orthopedic service in Prince Rupert and a one-time capital expenditure of up to $500,000 to purchase the necded cquipment, Yet those two figures are dif- ferent from the ones supplied by the Prince Rupert Regional Has- pital. : Its administrator, Doug Marrie, said an analysis done in co- operation with Dr. Phalen came up with a $750,000 annual opera- ting requirement and $300,000 in capital expenses. “T don’t know much they spent,” said Marrie of the Kitimat operating expenditure. “Our analysis shows there’s a need for $750,000 to provide a full regional service.”’ He anticipated discussions be- tween the Kitimat General Hospi- tal, his hospital and the health thinistry on final costs, Also anticipating discussions is the health ministry’s Horn. “These are ballpark figures, subject to a final determination,”’ said Horn of her ministry's estimates. Bring big guns to bear, says councillor. HEALTH MINISTER Paul Ramsey’s decision ~ that orthopedic surgeon services be transferred to Prince Rupert was roundly condemned last week by Terrace council. Slamming the decision as tetrogressive, councillor Ruth Hallock said she could not un- derstand how ‘‘any health min- ister in his right mind” could have made it. And while colleagues called for strong letters of protest or a delegation to Victoria, Hallock -Inaintained that would not be enough to get the decision Teversed. Instead, she suggested pet- ting the area’s major industrial companies such as Alcan and the Terrace sawmills to join the lobbying effort. “We've got to use some clout,” Hallock said, adding neither the city nor mgional district had enough. Denouncing the decision as “tolaliy political’’, councillor Rich McDaniel said it had clearly been taken without looking at the way health ser- vices were administered in the Tegion. Councillor David Hull agreed, saying moving the surgeon from Kitimat could not be justified on the grounds of either health care or good financial management. If the surgeon had to be moved, Terrace was the logical place to send him, he added. In the end, council setiled for a letier to Ramsey and a meet- ing with Kitimat council and the Health care society to de- cide what the next step should be. ee i Valentine’s Specials - Joico & Lanza products 20% Off - Buy # litre Care-pro & get 1 litre of Lite FREE - $45 Perm Special Offer Ends Feb. 28/94 Grant Davis ty . 635-7737 #7 - 4736 Lakelse Avenue Te , British Columbl CHANGES errace, British columbia TOTAL HAIR CARE (Entrance on Lazella Avenue) LUBE, OIL & FILTER SERVICE * Up to 5L Oil S$ 95 labour and parts 2 SS HEADLIGHT ALIGNMENT | $4 9°° Totem Service (N & J Service Centre Ltd.) 4711 Lakelse Ave., Terrace, BC PETROCANADA® 635-4515 — FAX 635-2749 * Most Cars ¢ GST & PST extra * Includes all THE Bavarian Inn Restaurant Make our place “Your Place" to enjoy an evening The friendliest “Inn” town! iC : of intimate dining and reasonable prices! Indian Health Services, Prince Rupert Indian Registry (Membership) Estate Administration Land Administration: & Surveys Health & Welfare Canada, | Northwest Funding Management Unit Individual Land Holdings & Encumbrance Searches NOoTicE or eOrricEeE CLOSURE The Northwest District Sub-office of the Department of Indian and Northern Affalrs at #101 - 3219 Eby Street In Terrace, B.C. will be closing permanently on January 28, 1994. All services currently provided by the District Office will be available at the B.C, Regional Office #300 - 1550 Alberni Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6G 3C5. ‘For the following services, please call: 1-604-627-1381, (Phone Collect) 1-800-665-8997 1-800-667-7017 1-800-561-8671 Leases, Permits, Easements, 1-800-667-7017 1-800-667-7017 Terrace Big Brothers & Big Sisters Annual ‘General Meeting — Board of Directors February 7, 1994 7:30 pm at the Terrace Inn February Means Enjoy y These § Specials Alt Month Sirloin Steak : os _ & Oyster S Brachette “Creale Style” = *15.95 ae Prawns Etouffée with Jambolaya Rice § Blackened Halibut 16.50 “Cajun Style” with Salsa & Almond Rica Reserve Early *15.95 Ph: 635-9161 A Reminder - Reserve Early for your .Valentine - February 14th RS oo | stabalizes. 4 With the unusually mild temperatures we have experienced at the end of January, our company has | Mm had to remove the compact to prevent damage to the gravel roads. 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