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APRIL 23, 2015
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Campsall chews out Interior Health TENURE SHARING AN ISSUE A4
Donation refusal, lack of services cited in criticism
Carole Rooney Free Press
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District of 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall gave an intense and impassioned earful to Interior Health (IH) acute services director Peter Du Toit about program funding in the community at an April 15 council meeting. Campsall said IH “continually puts up barriers” to local health-care needs and residents are tired of being treated like “second-hand citizens.” “I am offended by it, and I know the community is offended by it.” Du Toit appeared before council at a c om m itte e - of - t he whole meeting to provide an update on IH service delivery to patients in the South Cariboo. District Councillor Ralph Fossum opened the proverbial can of worms when he asked why IH has continually refused a $230,000 donation for funding a local urologist – on its own enough to cover the equipment costs and about two years of operations. The community really needs this type of specialist, so many see it as a “no
brainer” to accept the South Cariboo Health Foundation’s (SCHF) generous offer to fund it, he explained. Du Toit said it has looked at this “high-profile” proposal in its 2014/15 financial plans and will “very definitely” review it again for 2015/16 – but there is simply no available operating funds from the ministry for “new programs.” Campsall was quick and forceful in pointing out the program is “not new” and had been in place locally before IH cancelled it, which “upset” the community. “[IH] does not have a good name in this community ... this program needs to be reinstated. We’ve got an organization offering to pay for operating and IH is putting up another wall.” Du Toit clarified that a program was here formerly, but it had limited ministry funding that was used up. He added that is also the problem with donations that will dry up down the road. The mayor said since IH can’t guarantee programs down the road either, it should reconsider or even match local funding so a urology program could run for four to six years. IH is “looking a gift horse in the mouth” by turning it down, and the community is “not going to go away” on this issue, he added. Continued on A5
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ALL THE TRAPPINGS
Chris Nickless photo
Alysa Leclerc of Prince George participated in the Youth Muskrat Skinning & Boarding event held during the B.C. Trappers Association Convention at the Curling Rink in 100 Mile House on April 18. The three-day conference saw several hundred people attend, with many from out of the area.
Children nearly struck at school bus stop Local mother Jan Simpson says repeated near-misses with drivers not stopping for school buses and students are going to cause a tragedy if something is not done about it. “Our kids almost got mowed down [April 9] by a driver. I don’t think it gets through to some people that they have got to stop on both sides of the road.”
Six parents were standing guard at Perrey and Horse Lake roads after school while the bus was stopped in the west-bound lane and a group of Horse Lake Elementary School students crossed the road, she explains. Simpson says it then became clear an east-bound, elderly male driver was not going to stop, despite the bus’ flashing lights
and extended stop sign arm. “The car was just coming full speed ahead and the bus driver was honking.” The parents began yelling and waving arms while one father jumped in front of the car with his hand up and managed to attract the car driver’s attention, she explains. “It was a near miss.” Continued on A5