{"id":28527,"date":"2023-05-09T10:02:55","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=28527"},"modified":"2023-05-23T10:05:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T14:05:02","slug":"sea-of-yellow-expected-at-queens-park-to-fight-minden-er-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/sea-of-yellow-expected-at-queens-park-to-fight-minden-er-closure\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sea of Yellow\u2019 expected at Queen\u2019s Park to fight Minden ER closure"},"content":{"rendered":"

(May 8th, 2023)<\/p>\n

By: Greg Davis, Global News<\/p>\n

Patrick Porzuczek hopes the public gallery at the Ontario legislature is awash in yellow as he and residents return to Queen\u2019s Park this Wednesday in another effort to save the emergency department at the hospital in Minden.<\/p>\n

As of early Monday afternoon, the Minden resident said \u201cover 100\u201d area residents are expected to don plain yellow T-shirts at Queen\u2019s Park in Toronto \u2014 the colour matching \u201cMinden Matter\u201d signs distributed throughout\u00a0Haliburton County<\/a>\u00a0since the\u00a0Haliburton Highlands Health Services<\/a>\u00a0announced on April 20 plans to close the\u00a0Minden ER<\/a>\u00a0on June 1.<\/p>\n

The health board cites ongoing \u201csevere\u201d staffing shortages as the main reason to consolidate all services, including two trauma beds, at the hospital in Haliburton, about 30 kilometres northeast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re packing Queen\u2019s Park; we want to pack that house,\u201d Porzuczek told Global News Peterborough.<\/p>\n

\n

Porzuczek said he and his daughter Kinsley, who had an irregular heartbeat discovered by staff at the Minden ER this spring, will be in a private member\u2019s box directly across from the Progressive Conservative government. He said he hopes Premier Doug Ford, deputy premier and health minister Sylvia Jones and Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes Broke MPP Laurie Scott are present and make an effort to intervene in the board\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThey can see my daughter from 20 feet away and see why I\u2019m fighting,\u201d said the former Minden firefighter.<\/p>\n

During multiple Question Period sessions in late April, Jones said the closure was a\u00a0health board decision based on the \u201cbest interests of the community.\u201d<\/a>Scott also repeated that message in several releases.<\/p>\n

Since the April 20 announcement, Porzuczek and others have spearheaded a public awareness campaign, which has included a\u00a0Facebook group<\/a>\u00a0with more than 4,400+ members, an\u00a0online petition<\/a>\u00a0with more than 9,200 signatures, and rallies, including one on Saturday with more than 450 people in attendance at the Minden fairgrounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good turnout but we didn\u2019t have the younger generations, people with young children,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need everyone to support this. People from the GTA who travel to Haliburton County and the Highlands don\u2019t know \u2014 they need to know. We need the message out there and we need it to be clear.\u201dWednesday\u2019s Queen\u2019s Park visit will be Porzuckek\u2019s second after presenting an initial petition with 3,300 signatures on April 27, which was read into the record by NDP MPPs and mentioned during several Question Period sessions. He says another petition will be presented Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now people are mad, they\u2019re scared,\u201d he said. \u201cWe now have a mental health crisis on our hands. All the people who live near the hospital \u2014 many who don\u2019t drive \u2014 use it as their lifeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

One concern is the timing of the announcement at the start of the summer months. Minden Hills Township estimates its population of 7,000 nearly triples during the summer months with an influx of tourists and cottagers. As a result, the township council has asked the health board to delay the ER closure at least until the fall.<\/p>\n

However, health board president CEO and president Carolyn Plummer and board chair David O\u2019Brien have said multiple times that if the closure decision wasn\u2019t made now, both Minden and Haliburton sites could face emergency, last-minute closures due to staffing levels this summer.<\/p>\n

\n

During an April 27 council meeting,\u00a0Plummer said in 2022 the Haliburton site had over 20 official \u201cclose calls\u201d<\/a>\u00a0where the Ministry of Health was notified of a possible temporary closure of an ER and \u201ccountless\u201d unofficial incidents, most involving nursing sick calls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt really was an operational decision that had to be made,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The township council has also claimed it wasn\u2019t notified of any possible closure and was taken off-guard by the announcement.<\/p>\n

Porzuckek said the Minden site regularly sees patients from the neighbouring City of Kawartha Lakes who try to avoid wait times at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay.<\/p>\n

Ross Memorial says it expects more annual visits to its emergency department if the Minden ER closes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlanning is well underway to meet any increased demand on our services,\u201d said Ryan Young, RMH\u2019s communications and public affairs officer.<\/p>\n

City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Ron Elmslie says council also supports a delay in the ER closure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe regret the need to close the Minden Hospital ER and potential impacts to the residents that access health care at that site,\u201d he said. \u201cWe support any additional time to make the necessary adjustments to address the impacts on emergency services processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

HHHS on Friday posted a\u00a0\u201cfrequently asked questions\u201d section on its website<\/a>\u00a0about the Minden ER closure.<\/p>\n

Porzuczek said he had just undergone knee surgery when he learned of the closure but he won\u2019t let his recovery slow down the fight. He said anyone wanting to take part in Wednesday\u2019s rally at Queen\u2019s Park should arrive by 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was literally waking up in surgery when it was announced and starting mobilizing right away,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of stress on me but I\u2019m still fighting the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here for original article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(May 8th, 2023) By: Greg Davis, Global News Patrick Porzuczek hopes the public gallery at the Ontario legislature is awash in yellow as he and residents return to Queen\u2019s Park this Wednesday in another effort to save the emergency department at the hospital in Minden. 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