LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Digital hospital records better for patients
Re “Digital patient records” (June 21) – I have been a practicing physician i n Peterborough for over 25 years and have been closely involved with patient care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre over that time span. My work has led me to spend many hours at PRHC, seeing patients i n the emergency room, ICU and most of the inpatient floors. When the new hospital was built the patients and staff were housed in a lovely facility with much new equipment but the major drawback remained an antiquated information technology system.
The present IT system is over 15 years old and new graduates have to be taught computer skills from the 1990s (using the up and down arrows) which they have found quaint but inefficient and extremely time consuming. Hospital staff are often waiting to use computer terminals as well as various old charting systems on clipboards, binders, and the like.
As a physician who spends large amounts of my life at PRHC I am overjoyed with the recent announcement to invest large amounts of capital dollars into an up-to-date IT system that will allow Peterborough Regional to become one of the leaders in information technology in Ontario.
This investment will improve patient care, safety, and outcomes, which is our major aim as health care professionals.
DR. WARREN WILKINS
Hospital Dr.
Train right on time for the Pearly Gates
I took my grandchildren to the Peterborough zoo one day last week. We went on the miniature train ride. They loved it so much, that they asked me to take them on Mr. Del Mastro’s promised train line to Toronto.
I told them that, even though I’m only 63 years old and fairly healthy, I doubt if I’ll be alive when this new train line materializes. They cried! I cheered them up by telling them that, if they ever become a Conservative Senator, they can use the Senate’s expense account sys- tem to buy me a train ticket and mail it to me in heaven.
ROBCORY
Farmcrest Ave.
Non-Ojibwa speakers should make the effort
Re “Saying Boozhoo to Ojibwa language” (July 21) –
I want to shower Merritt Taylor and all Aboriginals who are speakers of their language with pure kudos.
However, as a non-Aboriginal who has conversational abilities in the Ojibwa language, I would then tell the nonAboriginal community to reject the notion and constant bullying that residential schools are the reason “today” that Aboriginals between the ages of 30 and 50 don’t speak their language.
Mr. Taylor’s daughter Emma is smart enough to become a l awyer and has a fluent speaker in her family but yet can’t speak the language? Spare me! Many immigrants come to this country and their kids are fluent in their native language just because they won’t talk to them and let them answer in English.
Aboriginals can’t expect non-aboriginals to take their language seriously if they don’t. As far as I am concerned people shouldn’t be allowed to work for the government in Aboriginal policy if they can’t pass a basic fluency test. When I wanted to learn the language I just signed up at Trent University. I listen to Youtube and participate in speaking groups online. I went to my daughter’s school and within 30 minutes I had two classes of Grade 6 students firing off words and understanding the basic concepts of the language.
The Ojibwa language isn’t hard its just different! In fact when you teach the basics you will find that its quite easy. You’ll begin to think that English is hard!
I like Hiawatha Chief Greg Cowie and on occasion when I bump into him I speak the language to him. I tell him he is chief of his band and has infinite amount of resources around him so he has no excuse to not be fluent in his language.
There are some 30,000 Ojibwa speakers in this province. Non-Aboriginals should tell Aboriginals to quit crying the race card and do what I did and go tie themselves to one of them! Shame on them; they only have themselves to blame if they have that opportunity and don’t take it.
ARTHUR SETKA
Wintergreen Court