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APRIL 30, 2015
Two Sections, 36 pages
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100milefreepress.net
Interior Health pledges program operations funding
Carole Rooney Free Press
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She explains the budget also includes a number of important measures for seniors, families and small business. “For seniors, there are a couple that I supported because, in my pre-budget consultations, I heard a lot about them. “One is increased flexibility with the compassionate care benefits.” The budget extends this paid leave from six weeks to six months, which she notes could provide
After many local supporters refused to back down on this issue, Interior Health (IH) has now approved a urology program for 100 Mile House. Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett made the announcement on April 23. “After an extensive review, Interior Health will now go ahead with the development of [diagnostic] urology services at 100 Mile District General Hospital.” Barnett says this is positive news that will benefit the local patients who use these services. “It certainly will save time and energy for many of our citizens who are patients, with two- to four-hour drives to Kamloops. I am really excited.” Barnett says she has long championed a local lobby for the return of urology services, along with the South Cariboo Health Foundation (SCHF) – which has repeatedly offered $230,000 to help fund it – and other local stakeholders. As one of its funding partners, IH acute services director Peter du Toit says some SCHF donations may be used for equipment purchases, as is frequently the case locally, to help support the local urology program. “This decision made to move forward means [IH] will look after the operating [funding] for that. “We will be sitting down with [SCHF] to review the needs, as well as to review its commitment, and we are very excited for them.” This latest development followed District of 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall taking a strip off of IH du Toit for not (previously) accepting SCHF’s program money. At an April 14 council meeting, Campsall told du Toit that IH “continually puts up barriers” to local health-care needs, residents are tired of being treated like “second-hand citizens,” and that he and the community are “offended by it.” The news about reinstatement broke just hours after a related 100 Mile House Free Press story and an editorial were published (April 23). du Toit says general support from the community had some impact, but stresses IH has had this on its radar for sometime. “This has been part of a decision-making process for quite a while and [IH] does look at all the programs that come forward and review them on a basis of what needs to be done first....
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Urologists return to local hospital
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Mia Weir sang the song, Naughty, from the musical, Mathilda, during the 100 Mile Festival of the Arts Showcase Concert at Martin Exeter Hall on April 24. She played the role of Mathilda in the Junior Musical Theatre (Comedy) class at the festival and was invited to perform at the concert by the adjudicator.
Budget bandied by candidates Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo (KTC) MP Cathy McLeod says she is “delighted” the recently released federal budget is going to “take the country back to balance.” “That was a commitment we made in 2011 ... and Canada remains in a very enviable position.” Some other provinces and countries spend a much larger portion of their revenue on debt payments rather than needed programs and services, she notes. McLeod adds new increases to the universal child care benefit are also “very, very important.”