C4-Sunday News, June 15, 1980. | women ee Woman says ‘It’s a horror story But hospital says “It's a horror story,” says North Vancouver resident Mary Heffer, and she.says she is going to file a com- plaint with the B.C. Gil Liberties Association. But officials at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) are more inclined to call it a melodrama and they say that Heffer is getting a bit paranoid about the situation. The whole story starts in August 1978 when Heffer broke two bones in her ankle while standing in an elavator. The fracture was very slow to heal and in August of last year, Heffer said she put all her furniture in storage because she was told she was going to be in hospital for a long period to allow the break to heal. In order to try a special type of treatment Heffer went to Alberta, but was forced to return to British Columbia because her hospital insurance would not feng f no cover the treatment costs. Then in April, = she returned to Lions Gate Hospital where she spent 39 days until May 16. At this point, a LGH spokesman said, she said she wanted to leave and went to stay m a motel, but was forced to return to LGH the next day because her wheelchair could not get through some of the doors. Heffer then stayed in LGH until May 29. During that time she said she was rudely treated by nurses and hospital staff who tried to get her out of the hospital before she was fit and had anywhere to stay. “My only thought was getting out of the hospital,” she said. “I was beat down, beat down, beat down.” “We never kick anybody out onto the = street,” a hospatal spokeman said, and he added that the hospital always make sure a person has somewhere to go, before discharging them. Hospital Administrator John Borthwick admits that patients may sometimes be talked to harshly by staff, bat adds that staff are never deliberately rude. Heffer is currently house sitting for a friend, her foot has still not healed and she has to go in for periodic physiotherapy treatments. “I'm not angry,” she said, “I just feel people should know what goes on at that hospital.” Meanwhile, a hospital spokesman who reviewed her record says there is no evidence she was badly treated and adds that with 1500 people on the waiting list for a hospital bed, people are never kept longer than necessary, except for long term cases who have nowhere to go. Borthwick says that for every complaint they receive, there 1s always Soviet healer popular MOSCOW (UPI) - A former waitress who claims she can perform miracie cures is the hit of Moscow intelicctual circles and is rumored to number Soviet Presidcnt Leonid Brezhacv among her chientele. The woman, Dzhuna Davitashvili, was cven mentioncd im the Icading Sovict tradc ncwspaper, Trod. Soviet scientist Alchsandr Spirkin told the newspaper the woman from the Sovict republic of Georgina cleared up a scrious skin ulcer in only 15 minutes without the use of drugs. “A hight, rose colored spot appeared, altcsting to the formation of shin Qssuc .~ he said, decscnmbing the al tercficcts of Uhe (treatment union He called her work “therapeutic use of bioficlds” having “somcthing m common with acupunc- ture, which harmonizes bioenergetic processes in the organism.” A Georgian artist claimed she treated him for headaches by placing her fingers om his face for several minutes. He said a feclmg of heat that lingered after the treatment disap pearcd a few days latcr. as did the headaches. Ciuzens in Georgia havc told Western reporters the woman 1s an Assynan who comes from a longtine of faith healers known as “scnsitives ~ The woman, who charges about $375 tor her trcat slo k THE Be tr hs WI PTHE SUTTON 4 CE WITRT RINE Y FINES CRKER PL | dh urs pee re 342() 64,00 BOY oa Se eine AO) horntoy st Vain ft ng non GROL ment, quickly came to the attention of Georgian in- tellectuals and built up a chentele of artists, painters, pocts and actors. Her fame then spread to Moscow, where she travels frequently to give treatments. Onc Georgian skeptic told a Western reporter he believes the whole thing is a hoax, but added, “There are very many intelligent and accomplished = individuals who have complete faith in her. I don't know how to explain it ~ Western diplomats say there arc ao number of reports and = rumors that leading Soviet pohtictans have undergone treatment, inc buding Brezhnev 73 ACE Pres r O69 2145 somebody saying how good the treatment Weddings Portraits is at the ] ™° Coewing Room 1717 LONSDALE, NORTH VAN. 988-5822 KEN OXENHAM PHOTOGRAPHY } Commercial Photography ue 988-0173 we Summer Fabric SALE 20% OFF all fabrics Plus 2 Tables at — $2°8imeter © Good selection still avaitable We now carry Vogue: « BUTTERICK. patterns OPEN WED, THURS & FRI MITES “IH OPM MO SCAULOTIS XA 20 salons in Woodward; Stores and Mayor Malls PERM SALE JUNE 16-28 A GREAT TIME TO LOOK GOOD AND SAVE BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT NQW LW)