tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post1274380027596540695..comments2024-02-18T20:48:07.173-08:00Comments on McMurray Musings: Rushing in Where Angels Fear to Tread - Medevac Services and Fort McMurrayTheresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217715252564049451noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-22695386895249599332013-03-12T10:59:07.526-07:002013-03-12T10:59:07.526-07:00Well, I for one agree that the priority should be ...Well, I for one agree that the priority should be a tertiary facility available here in our own community, however this is NOT in the Planning Phase and if it takes as long to get one as it has to get Highway 63 twinned .... a lot of people will die while the Government sits on their hands. <br />As for keeping the ECCA open ... this is to guarantee timely medevac services until ... once again the government offers 'a more timely' alternative option for those life saving transportation services to a tertiary centre in Edmonton. One as good as, or better, than what we already have.<br />As to expropriation of ECCA land, it would be a small parcel of land, and be used until the Government gets off their butts to plan, develop and implement a 'better option then the EIA holding centre'. Keep in mind as well, that the RMWB is 'expropriating' land downtown to develop their planned Arena. Expropriation has it's place when in the best interest of the people. Are we saying that the Cities can expropriate but the Provincial body should not? Edmonton is looking to expropriate land from Leduc and Beaumont for developmental purposes as well.<br />I am not a 'stay at home mother/wife'(and that is an insult to those who actually are), and my taxpayer dollars are at stake as well as the lives of my family & Community members. I Am A STAKEHOLDER too!<br /> I respect the opinion of others and am only asking that others respect mine. They do not have to agree.<br />Theresa, I thoroughly look forward to your Posts and this was well written. I respect all the points you have made. Unfortunately, my opinion does differ as I agree with the 80+ Doctors assessment of the Medevac Service relocation at this time and am behind them 100%.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-58276423671957410902013-03-12T09:50:15.385-07:002013-03-12T09:50:15.385-07:00The folks on the facebook page "Please Twin H...The folks on the facebook page "Please Twin Highway 63" -which has now morphed into the "We hate government / anti-authority stay at home moms" are going to have a bird over this!! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-77673378772953027042013-03-12T09:23:26.285-07:002013-03-12T09:23:26.285-07:00I am not asking for the airport to remain open. In...I am not asking for the airport to remain open. In my emails to our elected officials all I have asked is that the government allow the small percentage of patients who are time sensitive to land at City Centre until the doctors concerns regarding these patients are addressed. the airport will be open for several more months which gives them plenty of time to do this. Other airccraft will still be using the airport. Its a win win as far as I'm concerned.Marlene Fargeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-19514727336743233712013-03-12T09:10:35.204-07:002013-03-12T09:10:35.204-07:00Some of your facts are a bit off. Currently YMM i...Some of your facts are a bit off. Currently YMM is only 116,000+ and there is over 39,000 of those in camps, some say that there is over 60,000 in camps.<br /><br />The population has only grown in the last 15 years and was stagnant before that around the 30,000 or less population. Well within the 35K you mention that the hospital was designed for.<br /><br />So with that, the four hospitals you mention that we should have goes down to 1.5 hospitals. Now, if the question is how big should we expand our hospital to we have a winner! Let's expand that hospital with the money that would have been spent on the expropriation and get some bang for our buck for our community. Grand Prairie will also need to be updated and expanded as well to ensure coverage of the North is adequate.<br /><br />Hiway 63 is finally moving fast and so is the long term care facility. These are both major financial obligations to the people of Alberta who all helps pay for this. Combine this with the Parsons Creek overpass and we are talking a significant commitment to us during difficult times.<br /><br />So, now is a time we need to be able to think of how to turn this fight into how it can help us get some commitments to our Regions in the North rather than building a site far away from us which keeps us in the 20th century. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-34597037959129721102013-03-12T06:55:47.632-07:002013-03-12T06:55:47.632-07:00Well said! I think with the airport closing, much ...Well said! I think with the airport closing, much better discussions can be had about new and expanded medical facilities in northern Alberta. It's what residents outside of Edmonton need, and deserve.Jeffhttp://jeffsamsonow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586607118525088475.post-54898698283519396332013-03-12T06:37:16.502-07:002013-03-12T06:37:16.502-07:00Theresa, you express great points well. Your reaso...Theresa, you express great points well. Your reasoning would be supported if we had the regional resources to support the line of reasoning you express. Citizens have been advocating for themselves for decades. We have had to rely on medevac services because our repeated requests over 4 decades to address local needs have been ignored. The current hospital was build in 1981 to accommodate the needs of 35,000 people. It now supports 200,000 people. By my rudimentary understanding, Fort McMurray needs the infrastructure equivalent of four (4) hospitals. ECCA phased closure was announced 15 to 16 years ago. One of the reasons for a slow and concise closure was to give the province time to find an alternate solution. Again, the province failed to plan, to address the realities. Complacency with a bit of political punishment and force to keep the region in line has resulted neglect of the region, and of Alberta's northern communities. In the next 15 years the region is going to grow dramatically (7% a year), and your points are salient. But is there another hospital in the works? No. A long term care facility has been advocated for by citizens since 1979. Its been promised (a carrot) 34 times, and also denied and withdrawn 34 times. This has been repeated with other concerns as well. HWY 63, the building of schools etc. In all cases, citizens advocating for themselves and their communities. A policy of indefinite deferment has been the norm. We've had incredible people doing more with less, using band-aid solutions, but chronic underfunding and deferment have resulted in huge deficits that cannot be addressed with band-aids.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10073479698969524186noreply@blogger.com