8 - Friday, October 30, 1987 - North Shore News

Health system needs money

OPEN LETTER TO
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

We would like to express our concern that the fed-
eral government is proposing to spend $10 billion on
nuclear submarines. No person could come up with
any reason how this could possibly benefit the people
of Canada.

This comes at a time when there are no available
extended care beds for children on the North Shore.
There are five designated beds, three of which are
assigned to adults who have been there since
childhood. This leaves two beds for a population of
150,000 people. Similarly, there is a desperate short-
age of extended care beds for geriatric patients. The

OPEN LETTER TO WEST
VAN-HOWE SOUND. MLA
JOHN REYNOLDS

Thank you for your memoran-
dum of Aug. 26 concerning detox-
ication centres in downtown Vaa-
couver,

As you may know, I recently
announced that the planned
amalgamation of the Pender and
Great Northern Way (GNW)
Detoxication Centres would not
take place on Aug. 31.

The opening of a new Van-
couver drug treatment centre for
youth and their families was to be
associated with the amalgamation
of the Pender and Great Northern
Way detoxication centres. GNW
was licensed for 60 beds, but has
been operating with 42 beds. The
transfer of the staff from Pender
would allow GNW to operate to its
full capacity and to provide a bet-
ter quality of service to patients.

The combined number of detox-

‘ication beds would decrease by
four, from September to
November. However, once the new
centre for youth and families
opened, there would be a net addi-
tion of six detoxication beds to the
Vancouver area.

Of the 2,573 admissions to
Pender Detoxication Centre in the
two-year period, January 1, 1985
to March 31, 1987, three per cent
of these admissions were by resi-
dents giving North Vancouver as
their address,

GNW is located one mile from
Pender Detoxication Centre. The
Salvation Army Harbour Light
Detoxication Centre at 119 East
Cordova St.. is also located in the
same area as Peticer Detoxication
Centre.

Senior staff of my ministry are
continuing consultation with
municipal officials.

Peter A. Dueck
B.C. Minister of Health

Children suffer

OPEN LETTER TO
BRIAN SMITH:

We are writing to you regarding
the Universal Enforcement Pro-
gram.

We feel it is time the B.C. gov-
ernment stepped in to help the
single parents of this province in
collecting their monthly support
payments for the children.

Right now it is both costly and
time consuming for the courts and
the individuals trying to re-coup
these payments. It is our children
that suffer and do without because
of the poor administration or the
neglect of the laws in our province.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Easton
North Vancouver

demand is growing daily. There is inadequate funding
for children with Jeazning disabilities in our schools.
There are virtually no adolescent psychiatric beds
anywhere in Vancouver. Health facilities are being
pared to an absolute minimum. The list is endless.

A $10 billion program applied to fight cancer. for
example breast cancer, affecting one in 10 women and
killing young mothers, would surely lay such problems
to rest once and for all.

We would therefore urge you to reconsider these
matters, and redirect such funds for the benefit of the
Canadian society.

A.C, Hamson, S. Bitnum D.S.A. Hay, R.L. Wishart
Department of Pediatrics, Lions Gate Hospital

at these
FOR

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