The Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room and Minden Matters group descended on Queen’s Park May 10 – bringing their fight to save the Minden ER to the Ontario Legislature.
The group, led by citizens Patrick Porzuczek and Richard Bradley, left Minden Wednesday morning on one bus, some by public transit from Peterborough, and others carpooling.
They also donned yellow ‘Minden Matters’ T-shirts in the hopes of attracting media attention in Toronto.
Porzuczek said via the Facebook page, “we want everyone to be heard and seen. This topic of the ER closing is not in the best interests of our community. It does not give us accessible health care and it will also reduce quality health care.
“Nurses will be pushed beyond their limits. One site will be overwhelmed. Air ORNGE will need to respond to one site with possibly double the numbers of flights. EMS will double, if not triple, the number of trips into Haliburton, plus those making their own trips to the ER.”
The group leader added, “let’s stand together. We are running a marathon at the speed of a sprint. We have 22 days to achieve our goal.”
The group was planning to attend Question Period and the reading of a petition that now has more than 17,000 signatures.
On May 6, many of those same residents attended a rally at the Minden fairgrounds.
Minden Hills council also put out a press release May 5.
In it, the township said, “the fight to save the Minden Emergency Department continues. Minden Hills council continues to look for a solution and denounces the decision made by CEO Carolyn Plummer and the HHHS board to permanently close as of June 1.”
In the release, the municipality added, “our objective is to work with HHHS and all of the stakeholders to pursue a long-term solution. However, we repeat our appeal for a moratorium on the June 1 closure date. Although that request was denied at an April 27 meeting, council maintains that this date (June 1) is unreasonable and imprudent.
“There will be no stone left unturned as we work together to save the Minden ER.”
