In an effort to keep Fort Erie Urgent Care open 24/7 we have been encountered with so many personal stories. Stories about real people and the hardships that they have experienced just trying to get the care they need.
You have heard a few of those stories already by attending the Public Discussion we held or reading the articles published in the Observer and Niagara Falls Review.
One was grateful for the care he received at the Urgent Care and believed that without the support and the help from the trained personnel there he would not be alive today.
One is totally afraid for the health of her family because both suffer chronic illness and often had the need of the Urgent Care Centre in Fort Erie any time of the day and night. Now they must find another way to get help when things go wrong in the middle of the night.
A number of people believed that by not having 24/7 care in our community it has placed them at a disadvantage to those in large urban areas. Often asking how they can be expected to seek help when they do not drive or are not able to drive and their family does not live close by.
Others believe that the eventual closure in Fort Erie of not only our Urgent Care but other services provided at Douglas will create hardships for small and large local business that need to seek medical help for their employees. Instead of going to our small healthcare facility they will be expected to rely more on employees having local Doctors that can see their patients immediately or they will need to have ambulance service available. The wait times at the emergency rooms will continue to increase.
In the winter when the Queen Elizabeth Way is closed down due to snow Squalls it will be extremely dangerous for ambulances or community members to seek medical assistance. Although this does not happen often it does occur and even the loss of one soul should not be acceptable to anyone.
In the summer will the Peace Bridge open special lanes for emergency vehicles or American Residents seeking emergency care have the opportunity to cross the Bridge to get the help they need or will they too be sent to Niagara or St. Catharines to wait in line.
We have horse racing in the summer months, along with swimming, boating, water sports, bicycling at local resorts or beaches - We have now taken away immediate help to hope that we can make it to the Falls. In the winter we have snowmobiles and sledding, hockey, figure skating, indoor ball hockey, gymnastics and other sports all potentially requiring immediate medical help and assistance. WHY SHOULD THE PEOPLE IN FORT ERIE NOT HAVE EQUITABLE CARE AS THOSE IN LARGE CITY CENTRES. Keep up the pressure to bring back the urgent care to Douglas - it is the right thing to do - we cannot place costs on human lives
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