A2- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 13, 2000 Doctors strike to affect patients here Specialists resign privileges Ry JENNIFER LANG ALL ELECTIVE surgeries and specialist procedures at Mills Memorial Hospital were cancelled Monday and Tues- day as Terrace’s specialists resigned their hospital privileg- es. Specialists in the northwest walked off the job in an ef- fort to foree Vieloria to sweeten its.offer. of money. for. the .... retention and recruitment of | physicians and money for on- cull services. The job action had the support of more than 200 people who atlended-a health rally sponsored by the Terrace and Area Health Watch Group Sunday night, the. Terrace and Area Health Council, hospital administration, and the nuyor, , ; “think they have to walk out for a few days to get the vovernment’s attention,” Mayor Jack Talstra said, adding that years of lobbying efforts by local politicians and the medical community have not worked, Terrace’s doctors want the same recruitment and retention and on-call services packages as the June settlement in Prince George. , “T think the community" s behind the doctors and we likewise are in support.” Mills Memorial Hospital CEO Dieter Kuntz said, stopping short of condoning the job ac- tion, ; ; “We, however, feel that it’s unfortunate that this kind of action has to be taken and that we don't support.” he said. “The paltent gets caught in the middle.” Health council chair Bob Kelly said more has to be done to keep doctors in the northwest, and to make the region more attractive to new physicians. The “biggest aggravation” is the Prince George settle- ment, Dr. Bill Redpath told the rally. “It’s just simply made everybody more dissatisfied, it’s rubbing salt in our wounds,” He said 21 physicians have left Terrace in the last three years; seven since May, with another three planning to leave this fall, While most of those positions have been filled. four have not: a child psychiatrist, an adutt psychia- irist, a numerologist and an obstetrician. “Without a recruitment and retention deal like the one in Prince George, our ability to recruit physicians is seriously threatened,” Dr. Greg Linton said. Dr. Michael Kenyon, who represents rural specialists in the negotiations, said the action will inconvenience the public, and warned that family physicians may join the walkout next Monday. Job action will be called off if the province agrees to seven days of mediated talks, and 48-hours to review a third- party report on the issue that wauld be released to the pub- lic, Kenyon said, The government offered 30 working days of mediation and seven days to consider a report that wouldn't be released publicly. At Sunday's rally, specialists criticized the government's Aug. 31 offer to rural physicians, saying it does away with Contingency plan in effect at hospital CONTINGENCY PLANS went into effect Monday morn- ing at Mills Memorial Hospital as specialists walked off the job, halting booked surgeries and raising the possibility ihat patients well enough to travel will be shipped out of ihe region, For now, hospital patients will continue to receive treat- ment from their family doctors, or from a specialist in so- called “life and limb” emergencies. All other medical patients requiring specialist services will be sent home ar shipped out to an available bed some- where else - in B.C., another part of Canada or even the U.S., hospital CEO Dieter Kuntz said. It's unclear which patients would face transfer first. “That's dependent on the medical condition of the pa- lient. and the specialist, so you can’t generalize.” Kuntz said Monday, Most of Terrace’s 19 specialists have withdrawn their haspital privileges, affecting general surgery, urology, ainaesthesiology, ophthalmology, ear nose and throat spe- cialties and internal medicine. The hospital is cancelling booked surgeries and procedures two days at a time. Obstetrics is unaffected until Sept, 15, when locum coy- erage ends. and will be withdrawn “only as a last resort,” Dr. Bilt Redpath said. Pediatrics, psychiatry and visiting specialists are not af- fected. Chemotherapy patients continue to be treated. The emergency department will remain open, even if the action escalates to include family physicians, The hospital will pay return air or ambulance costs for patients who are transferred during the job action. A senior’nurse is available by phone 24 hours a day at Mills Memorial to answer questions. Out-of-town residents can call 1-888-599-1272. : ‘KERMODEL. LRA LING ; The Yellow Gift House on. Highway i - G38-1808 | the Northern Isolation Allowance that gives Terrace physi- cians 14 percent on top of normal Medical Services Plan billings. Meanwhile, hospital cutbacks have made it harder for doctors to spend time treating or operating on patients. “This is not about more money for me," said Kenyon. “This is about money for physician's services.” Skeena MLA Helmut Giesbrecht said Terrace’s doctors -turned down an offer of.an-extra-$1.8 million year, or-an > - average increase of $43,534 per physician, He said that’s over.and above the Northern Isolation Al- lowance, but concedes i it’s less than the Prince George set- tlement. ~ “When doctors: talk about funding, their incomes are somewhat based-on access-to the hospital facility. You can’t separate the public and private interest,” he said. “Edon't begrudge them ‘the money they make. I just want people to understand all the implications,” 2. Q O R «O17 The Dare to Dream Foundation’s Sam Grade 7 Band Program for Terrace & Thornhill Schools Registration & Donations can be made or picked up at: Northern Savings Credit Union Misty River Books Dr. Peter Okimi’s Office Dr. Davis Lindsay's Office Programs to start this fall ~ Donna Ziegler Dr. Peter Okimi Dr. Davis Lindsay For more information call: 635-9767 635-761 | 638-8800 This program will only work if the people of Terrace & Thornhill support if. Chicken Legs Back Attached. Individually Quick Frozen. Seasoned. Sold in a 4 kg box only for $6.80. LIMIT TWO. ry Ib. SAVE at least 170/kg 24¢ilb. Safeway Club Price - Seediess Oranges imported. ¢ 6 NE atleast for 8 on two Safeway Club Price Lucerne Butter Salted 4549. FIRST ONE, 1 0 0 SAVE at least 70¢ @ Safeway Club Price 7 de ruin levi Safeway =) 09 Safeway Club Price All Purpose. 10 kg. FIRST ONE, : SAVE at least $4.50 Stonehedge Farms Texas Toast White or 60% Whole Wheat. 570g $119 each. 4ormore.,. @ y ea. sie abet en ie i ’ BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES * Back packs, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers and other assorted merchandise * Select varieties * Available while supplies last Pore