Public Requested to Avoid Going to PRHC During Its Perimeter Lockdown Amid Bomb Threat

UPDATE: 2:13 p.m. 31/10/23 The bomb threat has been averted and the PRHC is back to normal.

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is requesting the public including patients and family members to delay visiting their facility as they are on a perimeter lockdown due to a bomb threat uttered late Tuesday morning.

File Photo.

At roughly 11:15 a.m., hospital received a bomb threat from an unknown individual. The hospital says they have no evidence to verify the threat but are taking it seriously.

A code black was immediately declared and Peterborough Police Service are on site with a perimeter lockdown. Patients are able to access the hospital only through the Emergency Department and are being screened prior to entry.

“We understand how frightening this news will be for all those impacted including their family, friends and loved ones,” said Michelene Ough, PRHC director of communicaions in a press release. “We will keep the hospital and broader community informed as more information becomes available.”

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Melanoma Canada’s Mole Mobile Offering Free Skin Cancer Screenings This Sunday

Melanoma Canada’s Mole Mobile is stopping in Peterborough to give free skin cancer screenings at Sobeys (Lansdowne location) this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Melonoma Canada recommended that people RSVP before coming but it does not guarantee a spot. Individuals will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. All appointments are walk-in only according to their website.

Each year, roughly 89,000 Canadians are diagnosed with melanoma and skin cancer. Survival rates are high if detected early. Unlike other cancers, it is often clearly visible on the skin according to Melonoma Canada.

The Mole Mobile typically visits major Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist, underserved communities, rural areas and Indigenous regions to help speed up the time to diagnosis.

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Campbellford Memorial Hospital Seeking Members to Join Patient and Family Advisory Council

Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) is seeking community members to join the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) announced on Tuesday.

The PFAC helps discover ways to improve the patient and family experience within our healthcare system.

They are responsible for amplifying the patient and family voice and members actively engage in a wide range of hospital initiatives, committees and projects, helping to chart the course for the evolution of healthcare at our hospital.

Members of PFAC will:

1. Influence Positive Change: Be an instrumental part of the transformation happening at CMH by directly impacting policies, procedures, and the patient experience.

2. Share Your Insights: Share your valuable perspectives and experiences, ensuring that the patient and family viewpoint remains at the forefront of our healthcare endeavours.

3. Shape the Future: Collaborate with healthcare professionals, administrators, and fellow PFAC members to further enhance and champion our already patient-centred healthcare system as we move forward together.

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Peterborough County-City Paramedics Get Funding Boost to $9.5 Million From Ontario Government Grant

The Peterborough County-City Paramedics received a boost of $914,328, totalling $9,490,038, for this year’s funding from the Ontario Government’s Land Ambulance Service Grant (LASG) announced at the Selwyn Fire Department (Hall #2) in Lakefield on Friday morning.

MPP Dave Smith (left); Sherry Senis, Peterborough County deputy warden and Randy Mellow, Peterborough County Paramedic Chief at Selwyn Fire Department (Hall #2) in Lakefield making the announcement. The province’s 2023 investment of $811 million in the Land Ambulance Services Grant represents an average funding increase of 11 per cent for municipalities over the last two years. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The investment is part of $811 million in the province to help municipalities facing increased cost pressures in their emergency departments.

“When people call 911, they need to know that paramedics will arrive quickly to meet their needs. A delay in a service call of just minutes can lead to drastically different results,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “The Peterborough County-City Paramedics work hard to deliver emergency medical care. This investment will help all of us receive better service when our loved ones pick up the phone at that critical time.”

This will support hiring additional paramedics, wage and cost of living adjustments and general ambulance services operation to meet the needs of the local community according to Randy Mellow, Peterborough County Paramedic Chief.

“That’s eight full-time paramedics and a number of part-time that support them so they can have vacations and leaves,” he explained. “It’s about a 10 per cent increase in staffing.”

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106 Patients Lined Up for Kawartha Dental Clinic's 'Free Dental Day'

It was five years in the making since the last event but Kawartha Dental Clinic saw 106 patients during their ‘Free Dental Day’ on Saturday.

About $87,000 worth of work was done to treat all 106 patients who had lined up for free dental day. Photo by Kirtus Evoy.

There were several people lined up for the free event that was as long as a city block according to Dr. Sina Sanei of Kawartha Dental.

“The first patient that I saw this morning, they started lining up at 1 a.m. in the morning,” he explained. “The lineup went around the building.”

The free dental work that was included were cleanings, fillings and extractions.

There were 45 staff members who volunteered their time to help out during the event. Sanei says there was a positive atmosphere throughout the day with some doctors working past 3 p.m. to fit all the patients in.

“Everyone was very appreciative of the work,” he said. “You don’t really feel tired. It’s a very fun and relaxing day. Every person you come across is in such a good mood.”

Kawartha Dental Clinic last held its Free Dental Day in 2017 and 2015. They were slated to do it in 2020 but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanei says this event will be run again in the coming years.

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Peterborough Public Health Urges Public To Protect From Mosquito Bites After Confirmation of Virus Found From a Horse

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is reminding residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites following a positive horse case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) in the Peterborough region last week.

Stock photo.

This is the first equine case in our area and the sixth confirmed in Ontario this year according to PPH.

EEEV is transmitted to horses through mosquito bites, similar to West Nile Virus. Humans can also contract it from mosquitoes carrying the virus. It cannot acquire the virus from horses or other humans, only the bite of an infected mosquito. While human infection of EEEV is extremely rare, the symptoms can be severe and life-threatening.

Preventing Mosquito Bites:

• Wear long-sleeved, light-coloured clothing, or special clothing (e.g., clothing treated with permethrin) designed to protect you from bugs

• Use mesh screens and close routes of entry (e.g. windows, doors) to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home

• Stay indoors during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active

• Use insect repellent containing DEET or icardin

• Remove sources of stagnant/standing water from your property to prevent mosquito breeding

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Kawartha Home & Health Care Services Holding Free Blood Pressure Clinics Every Monday

Kawartha Home & Health Care Services is holding free blood pressure clinics to anyone every Monday.

The clinics are held at their offices located at 320 Water St. Unit #72 in Peterborough. They run from 10 a.m. to noon and again at 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The free clinics will run every Monday and continue until further notice.

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Peterborough Requires More Hospital Beds and Staff To Meet Healthcare Demand Over Four Years Says CUPE

The Canadian Union of Public Employees’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions has released a report addressing healthcare needs in Peterborough over the next four years in a presentation at the Peterborough Public Library on Wednesday morning.

Doug Allan, CUPE research officer (left) and Michael Hurley, OCHU/Cupe president (right) providing a presentation of their presentation; ‘The Hospital Crisis: No Capacity, No Plan, No End.’ CUPE represents 40,000 hospital workers across the province. Photo by David Tuan bui.

Their presentation, ‘The Hospital Crisis: No Capacity, No Plan, No End’ highlights the crisis in the Ontario hospital sector (including Peterborough) over the next four years. CUPE claims it will only worsen unless the provincial government makes significant investments to improve staffing levels and capacity as a result of their research according to Michael Hurley, OCHU/Cupe president.

“The hospital has identified the province with a critical lack of staffing,” he said. “It's a significant number of positions that need to be filled in the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.”

CUPE estimates that staffing levels and bed capacity must improve by 22 per cent, averaging at least over five per cent a year. This results in Peterborough needing 493 additional staff and 107 more beds.

They continue to criticize Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s current trajectory and plans, claiming those needs will grow by less than three per cent over the same duration.

“We are in a deep crisis with no signs of improvement as we continue to fail patients and workers alike,” said Hurley. “You've got services being reduced because of staff shortages, you've got patients being treated on stretchers because of lack of capacity, you've got people waiting for services for long periods or being turned away from services, you’ve got people being discharged prematurely. It’s unacceptable.”

CUPE continued to want the provincial government to repeal Bill 124 to properly pay healthcare workers their fair share and remove the cap on their wage increases.

“With inflation, because it drives up revenue at a comparable rate — that's inflation — the government has benefitted from very significant revenue increases and of course they've underspent their budgets on healthcare,” explained Doug Allan, CUPE research officer. “Hospital funding right now is about $25 billion across the province so five per cent of that per year would be $1.25 billion.”

Citing Stats Canada’s data, OCHU/CUPE says hospital staffing levels have only increased by 0.4 per cent annually since 2020 but patient needs necessitate a corresponding increase of 5.2 per cent annually.

CUPE continues to claim that healthcare staff have been burdened with heavy workloads, which combined with wage suppression, led to high turnover rates. The cite that vacancy rates in the first quarter of 2023 increasing by about 300 per cent since 2015. 

“The ongoing retention and recruitment challenges will only worsen if the government fails to address working conditions and compensation,” said Hurley. “Staff-to-patient ratios are extremely poor and getting worse. There are so many patients as demand for hospital care continues to grow, and the workloads continue to intensify. The conditions are so unsatisfactory that staff feel like they are failing patients and they just can't do it anymore.”

The report continues to mention that Ontario has 38 per cent less inpatient staffing in hospitals compared to the Canadian average. It says there would be 33,778 more full-time staff including inpatient workers and support staff if the province maintained pace with the others.

More full-time work, improvement in real wages and banning the use of agency staff were CUPe’s recommendations to help remedy the situation.

Since 2022, there have been more than 145 emergency room closures due to staffing shortages in 2023 according to CUPE.

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Canadian Mental Health Association Holding Open House For New HOPE Learning Centre On Aug. 31

The Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge’s (CMHA HKPR’s) Helping Others Through Peer Education (HOPE) Learning Centre is showcasing their new space with an open house in Peterborough Square for Aug. 31.

The open house runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with everyone invited to attend at 360 George St. N., Unit 27.

The Centre launched last year and provides educational courses about mental health and well-being that promote recovery, hope, empowerment, possibility and connection according to a press release. There are courses for those who have lived experience with a mental health concern.

Courses are offered in-person and virtually. The new space is for in-person learning to Peterborough residents and the surrounding areas. Lindsay already has a HOPE Learning Centre for any Kawartha Lakes residents.

“The H.O.P.E. Learning Centre brings innovative mental health and wellness programming to the communities we serve and we are excited to have our own new space here in Peterborough,” said Christine Crough, manager of peer initiatives and employment supports. “The new space will allow us to offer more opportunities for connection and in-person learning.”

The centre is available for anyone 16 or older and living with a mental health concern. It can be beneficial for people who are looking to connect with others and could benefit from the support and guidance in making choices in their recovery journey as stated by CMHA.

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Campbellford Memorial Hospital To Celebrate 70th Anniversary With Parking Lot BBQ Lunch

Campbellford Memorial Hospital is celebrating its 70th-anniversary celebration with food, games, activities for children, special guests and more at their main parking lot on Aug. 26.

The hospital was established in 1953. They provide acute care services including a Special Care Unit, Endoscopy Surgical Suite, Diagnostic Imaging Department, Laboratory, numerous Out-Patient Clinics, 24/7 Emergency Department and numerous community programs including Mental Health, GAIN, and Supportive Housing. File photo.

The anniversary festivities run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the main parking lot at the hospital. All are invited to join the celebration.

Highlights of the event include:

• BBQ lunch, cake, cotton candy and more.

• Exciting games and activities for children.

• Speeches reflecting on the hospital's history and the contributions of staff, volunteers and community members.

• Sneak peek at some of future redevelopment plans.

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