Editor:
In the last edition of Coast Reporter, the article titled “Hospice, auxiliary roles at private facility uncertain” must have raised a few eyebrows. Nothing exemplifies the arrogance of VCH more than the statement, “VCH had expected the SCHS [and by extension the Hospital Auxiliary – my comment] would work with the community to raise a large part of the capital funds needed to pay for the building of this hospice wing.” Not only was the decision to privatize long-term care taken behind closed doors, but now VCH has the gall to ask volunteers to come up with the money to build the facility in the first place. The role of the auxiliaries is to provide equipment and perhaps services that go beyond the basics provided by the government. Increasingly, we see that the government is shirking its responsibility to provide the basics. We have already had the case that the auxiliaries were expected to provide furnishings to the recent expansion of the Sechelt Hospital. Fortunately, the hospital is still in public hands.
The Hospital Auxiliary is the largest business on the Sunshine Coast. Over the years, it has raised millions of dollars with the unflagging work of countless volunteers. The Sunshine Coast community is outstanding in its willingness to give, in money, volunteer hours, or both. I predict there will be a precipitous decline of both should there be the slightest hint of anyone’s donation or labour going towards fattening the profits of some company.
On the other hand, if the government is now including volunteers and donations as a line item in their budgeting, then, along the notion that “whoever pays the piper calls the tune,” auxiliaries need at least one chair at the board table of the VCH. I bet if that was the case already, the whole privatization idiocy would have never seen the light of day.
Am I alone in thinking that the auxiliaries are increasingly taken advantage of by the government?
Klaus Blume, Gibsons
