THE PRINCE GEORGE FREE PRESS# r ' OCNA-tr ■MMM VOL.4 NO.iy i SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1997 PHONE 564-0005 Province will move on fluoridation legislation By MICHELLE LANG Free Press staff writer The rest of Prince George’s water system may get fluoride without holding a threatened $30,000 referendum. Mike Famworth, minister of municipal affairs, has agreed to the city’s request to proceed with the necessary enabling and validating legislation this spring. Mr. Famworth had previously denied city council’s request to have the legislation included in the 1998 legislative agenda. If the legislation passes, says Mr. Famworth, the city will not be required to hold a referendum to fluoridate the portion of the water supply that does not currently have fluoride. The city may hold a referendum on the issue, if it likes, he says. “I have agreed to the city’s request to proceed with legislation in the spring,” says Mr. Famworth. “The legislation will do two things: it will validate what has gone on before and they will be able to do the repairs they needed to do.” The issue arose when, a year and a half ago, the city’s fluoridation equipment broke down, leaving only 35 per cent of the water supply fluoridated, according to Bob Radloff, manager of environmental services for the city. When Prince George began fluoridation, about 40 years ago, almost the whole city received fluoride in the drinking water. Mr. Radloff says the city must now buy new liquid fluoride injection equipment, at a cost of $522,000, to fluoridate the rest of the city’s water. Before the city was legally able to go ahead and fluoridate the rest of the water, however, they asked the ministry of municipal affairs for the enabling legislation. The legislation will allow them to avoid a referendum on fluoridation, which is required under the municipal act. “We are very pleased. That’s what we asked for and it looks like that is what we are going to get,” says Mayor Colin Kinsley. Crisis looms at rural hospitals By CAM MCALPINE Free Press staff writer The Northern Rural Doctors Group has had it with lack of compensation and recognition for its members’ services, but it looks like things are not going to get better any time soon. The group, representing 22 doctors in Bums Lake, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James, Vanderhoof and Mackenzie, has served notice its members will withdraw services from hospitals if they do not get serious consideration from the Ministry of Health before the end of January. So far they argue they have gotten little more than the runaround. “We don’t have anybody who wants to talk with us,” says Dr. Brian Brodie of Bums Lake. When the group originally took their concerns to the Ministry of Health, they were told they had to bring up the issue with the B.C. Medical Association, the representative body for doctors in the province. The president of the BCMA, however, informed them at a meeting last weekend that they should address their concerns to the Northern Interior Regional Health Board. The regional health board, in turn, has said that the problem falls outside its mandate, as fiscal compensation matters are something only the Ministry of Health can decide on. The stalling and buck-passing, says Prince George-Omineca Liberal MLA Paul Nettleton, mean a crisis is looming if action isn’t taken early in the new year at the latest. “We can’t wait,” says Mr. Nettleton. "The Ministry of Health should meet with the doctors group and make assurances that interim measures will be taken and long-term solutions will be found. This is a crisis and it could lead to more of a crisis is something isn’t done.” The ministry acknowledges there are problems with doctors’ schedules and compensation packages in rural areas, but it still maintains all concerns must be funneled through the BCMA. “We acknowledge the fee-for-service system isn’t working for doctors in rural areas,” says Carol Swan, communications officer with the ministry. “But they must talk to the BCMA and get them to negotiate with the ministry. At the same time, however, the ministry puts the burden of responsibility on the doctors for any action resulting from the threatened withdrawal of services. “Ultimately it [service withdrawal] is an ethical decision for the doctors to make,” says Ms. Swan. That kind of attitude infuriates Dr. Brodie, who insists the protest will only involve non-life threatening cases. “Nobody is going'to die, that is not ethical. Nobody is going to lose a limb,” says Dr. Brodie. “We’re not saying no to anything that would come in in an ambulance.” The regional health board is willing to help any way it can, says the board’s communications director. “The board is working to get this resolved before the end of January,” says Rende Foot. Avoiding the immediate crisis by addressing the doctors’ financial concerns ultimately falls to the Ministry of Health, she says. “The regional health board is not mandated, nor does it have the funding to negotiate fee schedules with doctors.” Fun/By the crate Four-year-old Kathleen Harfman Is delighted with the ride she and Jill Prosklw,3, are getting from Jill’s dad Ben on an exhilarating twirl around the Civic Centre rink on Thursday, john mckenm/frh pmss