UPDATE: The time and location has been changed and reflected in this article as of 4:20 p.m.
A petition has been launched and a rally is scheduled Tuesday over a decision by health officials to close the emergency department in Minden, Ont., and move services to Haliburton.
Last week, officials with Haliburton Highlands Health Services announced that the Minden ED would close on June 1 with all services shifting to the Haliburton Highlands Hospital, about 30 kilometres northeast in Haliburton.
The announcement sparked heavy criticism from local officials including Minden Hills Township Mayor Bob Carter, who claims the township was not informed of any plans about the closure. He also argued the timing of the closure comes when the township’s population of nearly 7,000 often triples with seasonal cottagers and tourists.
Minden mayor blasts decision to close emergency department and shift to Haliburton hospital
The health board’s president and CEO Carolyn Plummer told Global News Peterborough the closure was an “operational decision” mainly due to the challenges of recruiting and maintaining staff at the Minden site.
Residents in the Minden region have also shared their criticisms on social media. They’ve launched online petitions and made plans for a rally on Tuesday.
Former Minden firefighter Patrick Porzuczek’s online petition “Help Save the Minden Hills Emergency Department” as of late Monday morning had garnered more than 2,900 signatures. The Minden resident is also circulating a paper petition around the region asking that the closure be delayed at least one year to allow for further stakeholder consultations.
Porzuczek says the six-week notice to close the Minden ED will be a “devastating loss” to Minden Hills and surrounding communities in the rural area. Two trauma beds and a helicopter pad for Ornge air ambulance service will be removed.
“Haliburton Highlands Health Services’ CEO and executive board members have neglected to engage with the community and locally elected officials, going as far as blocking a member of County council from joining the board,” he said. “There have been no public meetings or an explanation as to how this closure will impact all of those who use the ER, including local fire departments and paramedic services.”
Porzuczek also created a GoFundMe page to help pay for signage on lawns of homes and for a rally planned Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Minden Community Centre. Any remaining funds after signage purchases will be donated to the Minden emergency department, he said.
He says the closure will also impact residents in outlying communities near Minden who will now have to drive further for medical assistance.
“I am hopeful that supporting this cause will help us fight this change that will impact us for generations to come,” Porzuczek said. “From cottaging accidents, highway accidents, EMS response times, heart attack victims and so on. I myself have had a positive impact by this hospital from cardiac care I received, and now my six-year-old daughter who had heart arrhythmia discovered by a Minden ER doctor.
“Most of us know how important this Minden emergency department is to the community and how it impacted us alone or as a community and know of someone who had their life saved by this department,” he said. “We cannot let this go unheard.”
Carter on Monday morning also reiterated his stance about the lack of consultation on the closure and encouraged residents to attend the rally.
“Remember, it is your tax dollars that pay for these services, and I don’t think anybody will be offering you a rebate when they eliminate the Minden emergency department,” he said.
Facebook group support
Prozucek is also an administrator of a new Facebook group “Save Minden Ontario Emergency Department” which has nearly 2,800 members, many of whom are sharing their experiences at the Minden hospital and voicing disapproval of the health board’s decision.
Among those residents is Jennifer Martin Semach, who chose to launch her Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association business on Spring Valley Road in Minden due to its proximity to the hospital and fire department since many participants have compromised health and medical conditions.
“The closure of the Minden ER is going to negatively impact the safety needs of our community service,” Semach said.
“As a retired Minden firefighter I have witnessed the quick action of emergency medical intervention that without exaggeration makes the difference between life and death.
“So personally speaking I’m so scared for our community … lives will be lost — let there be no doubt about that.”
Resident Olya Ianovskaia also said proximity to the hospital was a key reason she moved to Minden three years ago, saying it provided “peace of mind.”
“We knew that if an emergency arose, we would receive the necessary help in a timely manner,” she said.
She credits the Minden ER for saving her sister’s life after the experienced beekeeper was stung by a swarm and went into anaphylactic shock.
“She collapsed at the entrance of the Minden ER, just six minutes after the attack,” she said. “Thanks to the lightning-fast response of the staff, my sister lived. It was our Thanksgiving miracle, and I will be forever grateful to the nurses and doctor who saved her life. Had we been anywhere else, the outcome would have been vastly different.”
Ianovskaia says closing the ER is a “dangerous, horrible decision” for the town’s future, one that may also impact her future living arrangements.
“Now, the thought of having no doctors, no walk-in clinics, and no hospital while paying high income and property taxes makes me question whether it’s time to reconsider living here,” she said. “I suspect that others — both permanent and seasonal residents — will also consider their options, and many may leave the area.”
In June 2022 during the health board’s annual general meeting, Plummer said the Minden emergency department had 12,768 visits compared with 9,766 for Haliburton over the past year, as reported by The Minden Times. ER visits combined were up by 4,500 compared to 2021.
Plummer has stated the decision to consolidate services was not based on patient volumes, noting “millions of dollars” and “multi-year approval” would be needed to create an in-patient space in Minden.
“And even then, there would be fewer beds than what is currently available at the Haliburton site,” she told Global News on Friday.
Porzuczek says the closure is a sign of things to come across Ontario.
“It’s not going to stop at our hospital,” he said.
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