By Kevin Gilby
CRAIK — After taking the fight to the provincial government, Craik Mayor Rick Rogers and RM of Craik Reeve Hilton Spencer asked their community to follow their lead during a short notice public meeting Dec. 8.
To an audience of about 85 people, Rogers and Spencer highlighted their recent visit to the Provincial Legislature and the impromptu meeting with Premier Brad Wall and the Minister of Health. Among residents of the town and area, representatives from Aylesbury, Chamberlain, and the Central Butte Health Committee attended to learn what they could do to help save rural hospitals.
Citing prior interactions with Five Hills Health Region (FHHR), the pair justified going directly to the government to have the community’s voice heard.
“I think he only has a book of questions and answers he’s allowed to say,” Rogers says of the Deputy Minister of Health, Max Hendricks. “Out of the blue, he’d say something like ‘You can’t get a doctor to come to a small town, and once you get one, he won’t stay.’ I said, ‘Well, we had one that stayed 39 years, and the next one stayed 16 years. That never happens.'”
The floor was opened for discussion and two questions for the FHHR helped craft five motions for the community and municipality. The principal concern was that FHHR has stated that it will not extend the contract for the current physician beyond Jan. 31, 2015. The community also wanted to know why FHHR stopped emergencies from going to Craik when a physician was available and had a residence in the town of Craik.
Among the motions carried were statements that FHHR “is to maintain and/or improve Craik Health Region’s observation and stabilization care and to reinstate ambulance and emergency services to the Craik Health Centre” and that the FHHR board “come out to Craik for a public meeting with the community”. Full text of motions are available in the minutes to the meeting.
A resident asked the speakers, “So, what’s your next step as a group?”
“You guys are the next move. Pick up the phone. Write letters, ” replied Spencer.
Spencer told the audience “I think that we continue on this route, we know the way down there now. We’ve got support. We’ll keep at it.”
Spencer closed the session thanking all in attendance and gave a special thanks to “the other communities and the RM [of Sarnia] that came in to show their support, it makes a big difference. They’re not just dealing with Rick and I anymore.”
The Town of Craik and R.M. have made a history of discussions with FHHR and full text of the minutes available at http://www.craik.ca/SaveOurHospital
Dr. Karam participated in the meeting but declined to make a statement for this article.