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GuelphToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Jay Wilson regarding concerns about rapid population growth in Guelph:
Guelph is expecting and planning for rapid population growth. I believe the 2051 target is 208,000. There is an exorbitant amount of planning and community consultation taking place to accommodate this growth and while forecasting, planning documents, written studies and meetings are valuable, often day to day living can provide more accurate information. In other words, meetings are one source of information but first hand experience can also be a resource for forming a vision of what the future might look like.
A few days ago my partner experienced a health issue. As it was the weekend she decided to wait until Monday to make an appointment with her Doctor even though she could have gone to emergency or a walk-in clinic. She had very valid reasons for waiting. When she called her Doctor’s office on Monday she was told that the next available appointment was 3 weeks away, even if she chose to see the nurse practitioner. She was advised to visit the walk-in clinic. Initially walk-in clinics were designed to take patients during hours when family Doctors were not working, late at night or on weekends for example. Now however walk-in clinics act as patient intake because of the enormous demand for Doctor visits. In other words Guelph’s resources can’t handle the current population, let alone any increase.
“Places To Grow” is legislated by the Provincial Government, as is healthcare. Growth is we are told inevitable and given our current economic structure there are valid reasons for thinking this way. Growth generates wealth. Wealth generates, THE POTENTIAL for healthy societies, but only with strict controls and a balance of resources. Any upset in this balance and the society can become rapidly unhealthy and dangerous.
Mr. Ford says “Ontarians are getting the health care they need.” Really? I have attached a photograph of the lineup for the walk-in clinic taken Monday Aug 29. You can see the lineup is quite long. Some won’t get in to see the doctor and be advised to show up again tomorrow. Luckily there wasn’t a storm, as there is no protection for people waiting in line. They’re standing in a parking lot. I feel particularly sorry for the mom’s with small children and the seniors who are having difficulty standing for hours, waiting.
I hear that the average wait at Guelph General’s emergency department is 12 hours, and read about the unavailability of ambulances. I see healthcare workers overworked, and stressed. And I witness patients at ropes end reacting with anger and abuse. Is this what “the healthcare we need” looks like? So again remind me how this will improve when Guelph’s population swells to 208,000? Things look very different here on the ground compared to the documents being generated at city hall and at the Provincial level.
