Update on the hospital

Posted by Stephen Rhodes

Ken White, the provincially appointed supervisor for William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) talked about the opening of Brampton CivicH ospital, the ongoing debate around Peel Memorial Hospital and the future of health care at last week's meeting.

Ken said the move to the new Brampton Civic was a massive job. New systems, new staff and an unexpected surge in patients were responsible for the initial problems at the hospital. He says there has been significant improvements from those early days last fall.

Ken said the new hospital is still struggling to find qualified staff. Physicians with William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) are currently working on a plan to bring medical students to Brampton, which would provide potential resources for the future.

He said PMH would best serve as an ambulatory care facility where residents have easy access to treatment. He also suggested long-term care as a possibility for that site and perhaps a second emergency department.

"Most of you are aware that the amount of money we are spending on health care and it's just going to continue to climb. We have got to find new ways of delivering services. Otherwise, there is going to be no tax dollars for anything else. We've got a commitment on that centre (PMH) and ambulatory care will push the boundaries on how we deliver care."