Is It Just Eastern Health?

I have often wondered about how other Provincial Health Authorities are handling their mistakes? Would it be unthinkable to believe there may be mistakes there as well, given that the brunt of our best skilled and highest paid are centralized here in St. John’s, and life taking mistakes are being made weekly? I guess an assertion that the smaller Provincial Health Authorities indeed do make mistakes would likely not be argued.

I was reading an article yesterday, about a senior couple 79 years old, both very ill and frail... total income $2100.00 a month. The gentleman barely able to walk is the healthier of the two, despite him having cancer. They have been seeking some home care service for over a year and have been denied at all levels. The gentleman said even 2 hours a day would be a great support.

In February 2008, the Connors' case was brought to Health Minister Ross Wiseman, who said at the time that the way financial assessments are done needed to change. "One of the things that we've heard repeatedly in the last couple of years, and more particularly last year when we did the consultations on aging, is that that financial tool just doesn't work," Wiseman said. Wiseman also said at the time that he expected the policy to be changed and said an announcement could be made later in 2008.

When contacted Wednesday, March 04, 2009 a year later, Wiseman's department said that review is still proceeding, but they hope to give an update in the "very near future."

Meanwhile, the stress on Connors continues.

Here is where we fail our people, "The Black & White Policy". In any formal constitutional ran organization, policy is made, ratified and only implemented in a typical AGM setting. I believe Eastern Health especially has abused their power as an official health representative of the government, in that in many negotiation between client and staff, a policy that exists at 8:00am, may not exist at 4:00pm the same day. Given the obvious, mistakes can happen and can be hidden. There are many sides to Health Care, but truth is, the left side of health care does not know what the right side is doing.

The couple in the story above should have been assessed on an individual basis, policy aside; this is a classic case of forced human suffering. These folk are seeking as low as $590.00 dollars worth of support a month. I guess the question remains would it be cheaper to put these people in a nursing home. Of course not!

When a service so diverse, so important, so personal and so life changing as health care is entrusted to first a volunteer board, then a group of non compliant, manipulative and deceitful managers who feel they have the power to change/make or break policy at their peril spells “HURT” for the people they serve.

In many cases there is an evidence where government is right and centre, full control of their boards, meanwhile in cases like the Connors, Wiseman feels confidant or arrogant enough to say the Connors will have to deal with Eastern Health.

Two faced indeed


Brudder