A spokesperson for the business community of Brampton is stomping mad that a task force making recommendations about the future use of the old Peel Memorial Hospital is not calling for the site to be ramped back up to a full-service hospital.
"The task force had a series of consultations and it was overwhelming, almost to the point of consensus, that a full-service hospital was what was wanted and required," said Carmen McClelland, president elect of the Brampton Board of Trade and vice-president of policy for the board. "We are still grossly under-serviced. We believe the people of Brampton should be treated the same as other people in the province."
The Central West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Peel Memorial Task Force announced February 22 it would recommend the Peel Memorial Hospital, which closed October 28 when the new Brampton Civic Hospital opened, be redeveloped to deliver only urgent care, ambulatory care, non-surgical care, non-acute inpatient beds, non-health complimentary services and health administrative services.
The recommendation will be submitted to the Central West LHIN to be included as part of its Health System Planning Project, which will set the direction for all healthcare services in Central West LHIN to 2019. At the end of April the Central West LHIN will deliver the results of its planning project to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Redevelopment is expected to begin in 2009.
Meanwhile, Joe McReynolds, chair of the Central West LHIN, said the recommendation takes into account the full spectrum of the feedback heard from various community groups. "We heard a wide variety of opinions about what kinds of services are needed most by the people in this community," he said. "I think that the recommendation of the Task Force is focused on making sure that we get those services into our community as quickly as possible."
While the recommendation specified that the ultimate goal of the redevelopment of the site should be a full-service hospital, as the community's needs require and supported the potential to add inpatient beds to the facility, McClelland said that wasn't enough.
The task force held consultations with patients, healthcare providers, community organizations, faith organizations, business and labour representatives and the public.
But McClelland, a Brampton lawyer, said it seemed as though the task force already had a decision made before the consultations and that public feedback was never going to be taken into account.
"There is $120 million plus in assets on that site that is going to go to waste and that is an outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars," he said. "We are calling on the Premier and the province to honour their commitment and we're going to fight for a full-service hospital. I have spoken to thousands of people, not hundreds, and I'd be hard-pressed to find a handful that don't expect a second full-service hospital in Brampton."
But McReynolds said the allegation that consultations were not taken seriously is a "disturbing" perspective. "Our task was to balance all of that feedback and determine what services should be provided to meet the community’s needs," he said. "I think that the Task Force’s recommendation is the right response to everything we heard."
He said the redeveloped site will help to take pressure off the new Brampton Civic Hospital by redirecting less serious cases.
However, even when the new Brampton Civic Hospital is up to full capacity, Brampton will still only have one hospital bed for every 1,000 people, whereas the provincial average is three beds per 1,000, McClelland said.
When the new hospital plans were being announced provincial MPPs promised that Peel Memorial would never close, but that it would be a second hospital for the city, he said.
An urgent care centre provides treatment for ailments such as sore throats, earaches, cough, fever, stomach pains and workplace injuries. Ambulatory care includes mental health and addictions and children's health. Surgical care centres can provide day surgery, dentistry and cancer screening.
Dr. Ruby Dhalla, MP for Brampton-Springdale, said she urges members of the LHIN and the Ministry of Health to consider Brampton's rapidly growing health needs. "The recommendations voted on by the task force must take into consideration the growing needs of the Brampton community," she said. "(Living in) one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Bramptonians need to be assured they have access to doctors, adequate healthcare and the highest quality of health care services... I strongly urge members of the LHIN and the Ministry to consider the rapidly expanding needs of Brampton, and the impact the limited use of the Peel Memorial site will have on the health of the community."
City councillor Elaine Moore, meanwhile, said it's important to recognize this recommendation is for a phased approach with an ultimate commitment to achieving a full-service hospital. "The discussion was to demolish this site and look for a second hospital site in the northwest or southwest of Brampton," she said. "It is extremely significant that the task force members have recommended and committed to the PMH site in this way... the recommendation is an acknowledgment of the citizens of Brampton's belief that we need two full service hospitals..."
Moore also said the Board of Trade's own submission to the LHIN was consistent with the task force's final recommendation.
Neil Davis, vice-chair of the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC), said he personally believes the hospital should be upgraded to a full-service hospital as soon as possible.
In his submission to the Central West LHIN Task Force recently, the lawyer and recently named Brampton Business Person of the Year, said: "Given the existing public investment in the PMH campus and its central, accessible location within Brampton, PMH is the ideal site in which to re-invest to increase the overall capacity of the healthcare system, as well as support the revitalization of downtown Brampton."