Why not just reduce elective surgeries?
Re: 鈥�Life on pause: Waiting for a hip replacement in a pandemic,鈥� April 16.
I read Patty Pitt鈥檚 story with a lot of interest because her plight waiting for elective hip surgery is exactly what has been on my mind for weeks.
We are now up to 15,000 cancelled elective surgeries with hers being just one of them. The obvious question is: Why?
Our hospital beds are virtually empty. Our emergency wards are virtually empty. There is nothing going on. The backlog when things start up again will be an emergency of its own.
I fail to understand the position of our medical community to cancel all elective surgeries. Why not just slow them down, keep a wary eye out for increasing COVID-19 cases and balance accordingly?
The cost to taxpayers of our hospital overheads is extremely high whether they are going full speed or not. There is an understandable need to maximize efficiency and cancelling elective surgeries is not achieving that.
Notwithstanding the above, I am most concerned for those like Ms. Pitts who have to wait on the sidelines for no good reason.
Nick Gudewill
Victoria
A way to help when pubs, eateries re-open
One of the things I miss is having lunch with my best friend Mike at our favourite pub we call 鈥淭he Dog.鈥� It鈥檚 in Cook Street Village so you know the one I mean. It鈥檚 a great place, and Mike and I enjoy the friendly atmosphere and often take turns buying each other lunch and a pint.
When it comes time to pay and tip I usually do the 20% thing but lately I鈥檝e been thinking that the servers must be hurting with this lockdown. So next time I鈥檓 there I鈥檓 doing 100%, and I鈥檒l keep doing that until things are almost normal.
Dick Newson
Oak Bay
Family councils help keep seniors safe
Re: 鈥�Long-term care changes could be long-lasting,鈥� Les Leyne, April 15.
The changes that Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered to restrict movement of staff between care facilities are strongly supported. The Vancouver Island Association of Family Councils has been sounding the alarm about staffing issues in long-term care homes, both public and private, for years. We have sent letters and met with the Ministry of Health and Vancouver Island Health Authority many times. It is unfortunate that it has taken a pandemic to institute the valuable changes that have been brought into place.
Family councils, comprising family and friends of care-home residents, are a valuable piece of the oversight mechanisms that help keep our seniors as safe as possible. They see daily what is occurring within a facility.
Under normal circumstances, many family members are visiting loved ones daily and their observations both good, and not so good, should be heard. VIAFC has been waiting for two years for the government to require facilities, health authorities and the Ministry of Health to support and consult with family councils. This would follow Ontario鈥檚 lead, which has already institutionalized family councils as a valuable part of seniors鈥� care.
When this is over, we must all work to ensure that staffing protocols continue in a manner that is best for the residents and certified caregivers and not primarily the 鈥渇or profit鈥� operator.
A.E. Topp
Victoria
Concern for future of聽Topaz Park
Re: 鈥�A tale of two very different homeless camps,鈥� April 15.
Looking at the picture of the homeless camp at Topaz Park in Wednesday鈥檚 Times聽Colonist, I don鈥檛 think you portray the complete scene.
On my daily walk through the park, I noticed tents in the treed area north of the soccer field. When I asked a volunteer if it was OK to walk there, I was informed that the park was off limits to 鈥減eople like me鈥� and the whole park was deemed necessary for tents.
What will Topaz Park look like when 鈥減eople like me鈥� feel free to walk there again?
Lucy Waldo
Victoria/Saanich
Enlist military to set up homeless camp
Re: 鈥�Helps wants sa国际传媒 to seize hotel rooms, put homeless people in them,鈥� April 16.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps notes that things are reaching a crisis with homeless people and the potential for COVID-19 outbreak due to lack of properly spaced accommodation.
Understandably, some motel owners are apprehensive about providing rooms.
Since other countries, notably France, have called upon the services of their militaries for assistance, why not have our Canadian Forces erect a tent installation for housing the homeless? What, for that matter, is the armoury being used for these days and could not that building serve as temporary quarters? Has anybody investigated these possibilities?
Also, since the Memorial Centre arena won鈥檛 be used for events anytime soon, would that not be another option?
Jim Hoeppner
Victoria
Open old Beacon Hill track for homeless
I suggest it鈥檚 time to open up the old race track area of Beacon Hill Park for tenting by the homeless, especially those camping on Pandora Avenue. Surely the park was meant to be of service to people.
It鈥檚 well located, flat, and open and will not harm the rest of the park, and it is big enough to handle many tents and supportive facilities for the homeless.
William Tate
Victoria
Obscene to seize hotel owners鈥� property
Re: 鈥淗elps wants sa国际传媒 to seize hotel rooms, put homeless people in them,鈥� April 16.
Several hundred years have passed since the Magna Carta began the reforms which enabled the Common Law to establish the rules which allowed the common man (and now woman) to work for a living and acquire property. It is now more than a century ago that Karl Marx suggested that only a government should decide what is best for the 鈥渃ommon man鈥� and started a revolution. It would appear that Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and some of her councillors may share some of his beliefs with regard to property.
I agree with the mayor that 鈥渋t is naive to think that COVID-19 will not hit the unsheltered population.鈥� But I submit that it is equally naive to collect a group of similar individuals in one dwelling place thus risking their exposure to the same problems of staff and residents of the long-term care homes that have been hit with outbreaks.
I think it would be obscene to attempt to seize any properties against the expressed will of the owners, who are already suffering losses. We should remember that it鈥檚 the virus that is the predator and should not be the city council.
M. William Davis,
Victoria
All municipalities should help homeless
Since 鈥渨e are all in this together鈥� why don鈥檛 all the municipalities jump in and provide park space to those seeking shelter? The current homeless issue is not something to be solved by the Victoria alone. Let鈥檚 see some leadership on this issue from other mayors and councils.
A.R. Morrison
Victoria
Send us your letters
鈥� Email: [email protected]
鈥� Mail: Letters to the editor, sa国际传媒, 2621聽Douglas St., Victoria, sa国际传媒 V8T 4M2.
Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for length, legality or clarity. Include your full name, address and telephone number. Please avoid sending letters as an email attachment. Copyright of letters or other material accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic and other forms.
