Lack of a doc forces Mills | to close its psych ward. © MILLS MEMORIAL Has- pital closed its 10-bed re- gional psychiatric unit Jan. J and won't be taking new patients until. a physician with a psychiatric speci- ally is hired to act as the unit’s clinical director. As of late last week, the unit held four patients, three of whom were ex- pected to be discharged over the weekend, ~~ “The” fourth patient will stay at the hospital. Mills Memorial nursing director Marg Petrick said a low disruption of ser- * vices is expected because the occupancy rate is so low. The unit’s clinical diy. - ector moved away the end of November and tempor- . ary coverage ended the “end of December. '- Patients from Terrace ~ and area requiring admis- ‘sion. will be admitted by - their physicians to the hos- . pital’s. acute care ward, says a release from the Terrace and Area Health Includes 15 point inspection: against your meter ~ eaves troughs. Council which runs Mills, All other patients are Lights Struts Coolant Hoses wa Be careful witen operating 8 yw Ensure dripping water joes ip an eaze V-Belts Horn Plug Wires | f Batteries Tires Fluid Levels £7 Never lot snow completely . . “ an inspections oF natural Bas UPS Tares CV Joints Brakes Windshield Wipers cover our mee, fash o_o show be doe by. ONE OF the two airlines - oye | ee serving Terrace has raised its fares as of Jan. 1 while Keepin if real. Be oe the other hasn’t said whal Safety Tip — ere - itis going to do. . Canadian Regional Air- lines raised its fares 6 per cent because of soaring fuel costs, airline official Dennis Erickson said last week; ; _ “We had a strong mar- ket. position in 2000 and undertook not to increase our fares,” said Erickson. . Canadian Regional began the year as a sub- sidiary.to Canadian Air- lines but. when Canadian © “was bought out by Air Ca- nada, found itself with.a new parent, 5. i afThings h and we have had to look at ‘a 6 per cent, fuel-cost re- lated increase:”-* ~ Erickson said U.S. air- Jines increased their fares several times in 2000 and that: the total increase was 11 per cent. - He said the increase “applies to every fare class, including seat sales. The other airline serv- -ing Terrace, Hawkair, hasn’t indicated what it - will do. | ~ “We're considering our options at this point,” company co-managing partner Rod Hayward said last week. Hawkair began offering Dash-8 service between Terrace and Vancouvet last September and has seen its fuel costs rise by 20 per cent in that period, he said. "One of the things that has hurt us ~ and Air Ca- nada — is paying American dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent - for air- craft parts,” Hayward con- tinued. That means a low Ca- nadian dollar makes those parts fairly expensive, Both airlines are report- ing a fairly decent winter flying season. Net as many flights have been diverted back to Vancouver or forwarded an to Prince Rupert because of weather problems com- pared to previous winters. “Prince Rupert has been good and so has Smi- thers when il comes to weather,” said Erickson. He said the fourth Fok- ker F-28 flight during week days which was introduced ° in late 2000 will be kept on for the rest of the win- ter. And there are no plans to change the type of air- craft Canadian uses. Erickson did say the el- derly F-28s aren’t nearly as fuel efficient as newer aircraft and ‘that the com- pany has a plan to rejuve- nate its fleet by 2005. When you can't breathe, 1 -. nothing cise matters BRITE COLUAIITA LUNG ASSOCIATION’ TAUH-LUNG of 1-800-€65-LUNG to be stabilized and dis- charged to the care of their community psychiatric team,” adds the release. Family physicians in Terrace are unable to pro- vide regional referral ser- vices, the release states. The contingency plan put in place relies heavily on community psychiatric workers in communities across the northwest. Although closed, unit employees will be avail- On All VW Gasoline Engines able, when community mental health workers are not available, to help phy- . sicians from the region who have patients requir- ing psychiatric care. “The staff can be con- tacted by physicians when beds are required for in-pa- lient psychiatric care,” the release states, A facility with a bed will be. found and the re- fetring physician informed who must then contact the VOLKSWAGEN PARTS & SERVICE facility directly, . One psychiatric nurse from the psychiatric ward will bé available during the days ta work with pa- tients who do end up being admitted to the hospital’s main acute care ward. 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