LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- June 24, 2008
To The Editor;
The other day I stopped for a moment and looked around. I was standing in the centre of the street listening...to the silence. The air I was breathing was fresh, pure and very still. A feeling of contentment hit me. Here I was in the centre of this beautiful village that I call home.
We have a wonderful business, we have children and grandchildren that live here. Our young son is growing up to be a responsible, good citizen...we work hard and life is really good!
Recent events has our community battered and beleaguered but certainly not beaten. It has been a very trying year, so far, for the residents of Hedley. An era of public education in Hedley is gone, the youth are unsettled, vandalism is prevalent and the few recreational possibilities available in our village are tied up in a ridiculous boundary issue.
Stamp Mills Days was cancelled, our Community Club is financially strained, the ball field is not available for use (that's another story) and other political issues have been dividing the community.
Have I got your attention yet?
A 'Community Spirit Revival' is needed and we would love you to consider participating in our day. Entries for our parade on Saturday, June 28th would be a good start and we are building a line-up of Similkameen Talent for our
'Concert in the Park.' Take the stage in beautiful downtown Hedley and share your talent with all of us.
We will be having a pancake breakfast, a Pet Contest, a Poker Rally for all ages, a beer garden, a loonie auction and a barbeque in beautiful Woodlie Park.
If you would like to be part of our 'revival' please contact T. J. by phone or fax at (250) 292-8600. Join in the fun! We promise you a great time!
- T. J. Bratt, Hedley
To The Editor;
Hearts go out to the suffering of Iowa and Mississippi valley in it's flood loss and destruction as it does to all America experiencing unprecedented storms, droughts, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. wreaked by Mother Nature.
But something we don't like to recognize is the Iraqi's and Iraq have been suffering unspeakable, unending death, destruction and suffering daily for over five years since the USA's pre-emptive invasion of Iraq whose citizens seem to be but dust and are easily blown away.
Could there be a message here? The US, the richest, most powerful country in the world with the deadliest bomb almost instantly brought to it's knees by Mother Nature.
What mysterious power directs the hand of Mother Nature? Are diseases, earthquakes and volcanoes of epic proportions in the US to follow?
Harmony and respect even among nations is like a good marriage or relationship - there are times it is imperative to bite the tongue and wise to remember, the other person is also a somebody. As it's said, "There are none so blind as those who do not want to see."
Regards,
Joe Schwarz, Princeton
To The Editor;
Monday morning I awoke with what I supposed was a severe allergic reaction to something.
Feeling I should have immediate care, and as my usual family doctor is closed Mondays, I made an appointment at the new Cascade Clinic.
Upon arrival, the receptionist took my Care Card, opened a file on me, returned my card and asked me to be seated in the waiting room.
After a short wait and once in the doctor's office, he did a thorough examination. Without taking history, asking if I was on any medications or had drug allergies, he wrote out a prescription for antibiotics and gave me a requisition for blood work.
I did mention I had taken an Alledryl 50mg the night before but it didn't seem to work. He suggested Benadryl as it was different.
I pointed out my name was misspelled and he asked me to please have the receptionist correct it.
As I was leaving, I brought this to the receptionist's attention. She blatantly said the Care Card must be wrong. I showed it to her and she changed the spelling but not her attitude.
Next stop - the lab for blood work.
I handed the requisition to the hospital receptionist who talked across the hall to the lab technician and both got a chuckle from the doctor's
'big city terminology.' They decided I could have the tests done right away instead of
'stat,' like the doctor requested.
The lab tech couldn't read the doctor's writing/request on the requisition and after much hesitation, instead of confirming with the doctor, she said, "I hope this is good enough," and left it at that! I'll never know what I was tested for.
Next stop - the pharmacy. As my prescription was being filled, I asked the customer service rep if she had Benadryl. I mentioned I had the generic Alledryl she pointed to, but said the doctor mentioned Benadryl was better.
She didn't know, so she asked the pharmacist, not the usual one who knows me. He pointed to the Alledryl. She explained my story. I told him I'd taken one last night and it didn't help.
He said, "Take two then."
I said, "Wow, I'm really going to sleep."
"He said, "They're only 25 milligram."
I said, "No, they are 50 milligrams!"
He said, "Oh." He didn't even check the dosage on the bottle first!
Four potentially major mistakes, possibly compromising my health within three hours from four different levels of our health care system, not to mention lack of respect to the doctor by the hospital staff.
If I had been a person not realizing the hazards of mixing the medications I was already on and new prescriptions an unfamiliar doctor or unfamiliar pharmacist was telling me to take, serious consequences, possibly death may occur.
We need more permanent family doctors that know us, not temporary doctors and walk-in clinics, that create more problems in the long run.
- Dawn Gardner, Princeton
To The Editor;
Can you tell me what's wrong?
It's a question BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) paramedics and dispatchers ask a hundred times a day.
If you have ever called an ambulance you will have experienced professionalism and dedication of the BCAS dispatchers and paramedics. Not only do they coordinate hundreds of ambulances, administer treatments to give you the best chance of recovery, but they also provide comfort, reassurance and support in times of need.
Each year BCAS paramedics selflessly serve hundreds of thousands of individuals who they may never know or meet again, but whose lives are forever made better through their work.
July 1 to 7 is Paramedic Appreciation Week; an opportunity for British Columbians to publicly recognize the contributions BCAS paramedics make in communities throughout the province.
This year, as part of Paramedic Appreciation Week, the BCAS is asking the public to share their stories of how paramedics have made a difference and thank paramedics for the important role they play in their communities.
Let the paramedics in your community know how you have been impacted by their work.
Send your letters to:
Sarah Taylor
2261 Keating Cross Road,
Block C,
PO Box 9600, Stn Prov Govt,
Saanichton, BC
V8W 9P1
Or if you prefer to send your letter via e-mail, send it to: sarah.e.taylor@gov.bc.ca
