Ron Stockton's letter, "Finally some positive health-care reforms," Progress Enterprise, January 11, made some excellent points in relation to the response by the province to Dr. John Ross' recommendations.

 It is time for us to wake up and smell the coffee! If a Better Care Sooner (BCS) program were to be installed at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital (FMH), this could clearly signal once and for all an end to its continuing backslide as a health-care institution. Among other misfortunes, FMH is no longer an acute care hospital, its laboratory function has been suspended and the future of the emergency department is jeopardized through the periodic closures now experienced. Ultimately, perhaps even FMH's accreditation could be lost.

 Real emergencies are well served by the 911 system, first responders and major hospital emergency departments, including that of South Shore Regional Hospital. What the Lunenburg community really needs is a health-care-on-demand system that can deal with non-emergency situations that are nonetheless urgent as far as the patient is concerned.

 Lunenburg already has a collaborative medical practice with several doctors and a nurse practitioner located adjacent to FMH and we should build on this base by installing a BCS program to replace the emergency department. The BCS program could be run on a 24-7 basis without the same onerous staffing requirements and could serve the South Shore from Bridgewater to Chester and inland.

 A BCS program at FMH could become a welcoming "front door" for health care in the Lunenburg area. In addition to serving the needs of current and prospective residents, it would be an important "drawing card" for visitors to the Lunenburg area - whether they arrive by land or by sea. As Mr. Stockton has suggested, our municipalities may already be lobbying for a BCS program for FMH.

 However, it is important for all of us to get behind this initiative and express our support for it through contact with the South Shore District Health Authority, our MLAs, the minister of Health and the premier. We should not forget that important structural changes are often brought about by the efforts of a few people.

 Let's stand up and be counted on a BCS initiative for FMH.

 BARRY OLIVELLA
 Lunenburg

posted on 01/18/11