Health councillor pulls plug

A MEMBER of the Terrace Area Health Council re- signed Dec. 14, saying its appointees aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Don Dunster, who had one month left of a two-year term, said matters came to a head when the council was asked to approve the hiring of Dr. Isaac Sobol as medi- cal health officer of the Northwest Community Health Services Society, ;

He said he was particularly upset because Sobol’s ap- pointment was presented to the health council as a done deal. :

“How can I vote for somebady 1 don’t even know any-

_.thing about?” Dunster said last week, © _

“I’m here because I don’t believe I’m a rubber stamp. I may be called.a puppet, but I’m not.”

Dunster said too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few people regarding local health care is- sues.

And he feels the health council isn’t pushing the pro- vincial government hard enough to make improvements here.

*] guess some people just like the status quo,” said

Now works for the Nisga’a

Dunster.

“The CHC (community health council) has the au- thority but it simply doesn’t hammer at the provincial government Jike they should.”

He also feels the council should provide Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht with more information to assist him in getting more health care services.

“He needs more information in order to do his job. He can only do what he can do based on what is given to him,” said Dunster. 7

Dunster, an accountant, also rejected claims the health council is merely a collection af NDP supporters

closely allied to. Giesbrecht and the. provincial govern-.

ment.

“We don’t make proper use of the MLA and I’m not an NDP,” he said.

Health council chair Bob Kelly said it didn’t-have a say in hiring a medical health officer. because that’s the job of the community health services society. He said the council did need to ratify Sobol as the medical health officer so he could legally carry out his duties in Terrace and area. oe vo

Doctor named to health post as society changes structure

THE NEW management structure of a key northwest health services agency is taking shape with the hiring of a local physician.

Dr. Isaac Sobol will become the Northwest Commun- ity Health Services Society’s chief medical health offi- cer next March.

He now performs much the same function for the Nisga’a Vailey Health Board.

The society, formerly the Skeena Health Unit, is responsible for public health, sanitation, community nur- sing and associated services in the northwest.

The previous medical health officer was Dr. David Bowering who left earlier this year.

Bowering was also the society’s chief executive offi- cer but he recommended the job be cut in two so that there is a chief administrator and a chief administrator.

With the hiring of Sobol, ihe society is now looking for a chief executive officer.

That person will not only handle the administrative end of the society, but also work on regional health care issues.

In this capacity, the new chief executive will report to the society’s governing body which is to be made up of the chairs of northwest community health councils.

All this is intended to have the health councils work more closely together on community and hospital care issues.

Sobol has been in the north for 11 years, the majority of which he has spent working for the Nisga’a Valley Health Board as a physician and administrator.

He recently received a Masters degree in health sci- ence and community medicine at UBC.

_ Sobol said his new position represents an expansion of the work he now does for the Nisga’a.

“The Nisga’a Valley Health Board represented 6,000 people. And now FPIl be working on behalf of 80,000,” he said.

Sobol said his experience as a practising physician should come in handy in the growing movement to combine community health with hospital and other medical health services. And because he is a physi- cian, Sobol said he knows full well the issues and challenges surrounding hos- pital care.

He is also looking forward to working on preventative health issues.

‘If we can keep people from getting into a hospital through prevention, we'd ali be winners,” Sobol added.

“But it’s a difficult argument to make to put more money into preventative activities.”

In between now and March, Sobol wil! be wrapping up his duties with the Nisga’a.

He’ll also be spending January in the Nass Valley filling in for other physicians.

Sobel is also known politically dating back to 1993 when he ran federally in Skeena for the National party and in 1997 when he was the NDP candidate in the fed- eral election of that year.

Sobol has also travelled extensively to-Tibet to vo- lunteer his medical services.

Isaac Sobol

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 20, 2000 - All

YOU BE THE JUDGE

Get that dog away from my lunch bag!

“Officer Groy is here with his police dog,” Mrs. Broinbridge announced fo her &th grade tlass.

“Coal! Does he kill an command? SICK EM, BOY!”

“But Miss, I'm allergic 10 dogs!”

Mrs. Brainbridge ushered i excited class into the hall. way, “They're going to scarch the class now.”

The students scrambled to get a goad view of the action,

“Whats he looking for?" 7

“Drugs, you dummy.” __“Drugs!? But Miss! | have my.asthma medicine in my bag! ls that okt v . : “Thals tne Liz.” Mrs, Sroinbridge checked her watch. 19 years, 1) doys and 6 hours until my retirement,” -°

Ryan elbowed his buddy Jeff. “Something's rot right here. Ian calling my lawyer.”

Ryan whigped out his cell phone. “Hi, Mom?” “Wow, your mom's a lawyer?” Jeff was impressed. "Hah, fit she watches all the lawyer shows on TV. Cover

me.” ; Ryon shielded Jeff and the forbidden phone.

Jeff whispered to Ryan. “Mom's asking if we sce o

worrant,” .

“No, bul that mutt is drooling all over my gym bag." Jeff grimaced. ; ©. Mrs, Bainbridge called out. “Okay everybody, the class- room search is over. Wolk single file post the deg as you return to your desk.” ;

Jeff whispered into the phone. “We've got an escalation of aggressive meosures, Mom. The dags now sniffing us!"

The dog sniffed away uneventfully. - ;

judlen y, il started barking ot Kevin Horpman’s back packet,

“Corrying any drugs, son?” the oflicer asked calmly.

BY CLAIRE BERNSTEIN

BASED ON ACTUAL COURT CASES

~ “No woy! Must he the M & Ms { wos saving for recess.” Jott os frantic. "Mom, ane of cur nen is down. Thoyre joking Kovin to the princiga!’s for a search.” Mrs; Brainbridge noticed the cell phone, “JEFF”

~. Jeff yelled iato.the phone os Mrs..Brainbridge grabbed

il, “The enemy is confiscating all means of communication. Mom, if | never see you again, con you fced my turlle?”

| Ars: Broindbridge vied in voin to get hack to her lesson lon,

“Jeffs mother-rushed over tothe school. “Unhond my son, péincipal Grovetli.” Pe

~ "Mrs. Bailey; your san is nol o prisoner, he’s in algebra class; The‘police dog didn’t hurt anyone ond parents are pressuring me fo kecp the sclical drug free.”

“Whats next? Fingerprinting?” Mrs: Bailey exploded.

“We're suing the school!” : ;

‘In court, Mrs. Bailey orgued tike o pro. “Your Honour, we con't suddenly have pole dogs cnfling our sludents, especially wher the schoo! hos qo drug problem, 11's an

“-untreasanable violation af privacy.”

~~ The school defended itsell vigorously. “Your Honour, the dog merely soiffed the students from a few feet away. That's hordly o search! There was no violation of privacy. And even if il was a search, il was reasonable as a preven- tive measure against drugs in school.”

Was the search illegal? YOU! Be The Judge. Then, took below for the detision.

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YOU! BE THE JUDGE - DECISION: "the search wos uncanstitutionall" declared Judge Soul, “Snif- fing people from so close, whether done by c human or o dog, constitutes a search, Since if was done suddenly, randomly, involuntarily ond without individual suspicion, its on unreasonable invasion of privacy. It might have been justified if the

school had a drug crisis.”

Today's column is based on a case from California, If you have o similar problem, please contact (sponsor) or

anether lawyer in your province, To provide compelling entertainment, we have liclionolized the names, the

choracters ard the scenarios in the case. Any resemblance to real people is puraly coincidental In the interest of lied, .

clarity and brevity, tha legol issues in the case have

n greatly reduc ; _., Claire Bernstein js lowyer and nationally syndicated columnist, Copyright 2000 Haika Enterprises. ¢73-13,

and simpl