by PAUL RAYNER

The Town of Boissevain may not be interested yet in joining a regional health group, but when the RM of Pipestone knocked on their door the second time, they did choose to open it a crack.

The Town received a letter from Pipestone Reeve Ross Tycoles at their March 27 meeting. It was an invitation to a follow up meeting regarding the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority and health care issues within it. Boissevain was invited to the first meeting of municipalities on the topic, held on February 16 in Virden, but declined to attend. Subsequently, they did receive minutes of the February get-together, and according to Tycoles, a discussion was held at a regional Mayors and Reeve’s meeting in March about a follow-up, which has sparked a second invite for Boissevain.

On February 16, a group made up of representatives from about 30 rural and urban municipalities, including Killarney-Turtle Mountain, Riverside, Glenboro, Hartney and municipalities to the north and west met to discuss concerns regarding health care delivery within the ARHA. The topics included doctor and nurse retention, ambulance service, emergency room service, and management. The concerns presented are not new, such as the difficulty of getting and keeping health care professionals. Neither were potential answers, such as programs for paying for education costs in return for service agreements – already well established by Boissevain and Morton with the RHA. There were also complaints that the management is top heavy and that the RHA boards need to be elected. There was discussion of a need to have a plan of where the local Regional Health Authority is going.

The minutes were also to be sent to the Minister of Health and the Assiniboine RHA.

Without a majority of municipalities in the authority attending, it was decided at the time not to form a group to deal directly with ARHA on these issues at the previous meeting. The second planned get together is on April 13 in Rivers.

Discussion at the Boissevain Council table focused on whether or not the Town should get involved with the situation. They had initially decided to hold the developments at arm’s length due to their improved working relationship with the authority. Events over the past several years, such as the revamping of the clinic at the Boissevain Health Centre and the developments of the return service agreements showed in their minds that working directly with the RHA was the best way to go.

In some cases, this opinion had not changed. As Councillor Rob Adams stated, the RHA meets with municipalities in districts to discuss issues. In fact, one is upcoming in Deloraine on April 30th.

“Isn’t that where to do it?” Adams asked.

Mayor Ed Anderson added that he talks to the RHA all of the time. He admitted in certain cases it was important to keep one eye open, but he felt issues could always be worked out by Boissevain and Morton approaching the authority on a community-specific basis.

“They certainly respect us,” Anderson stated. “You do have to know what’s going on, and if you have a problem work at it.”

However, Councillor Brian Maxwell felt it might be a good idea to have someone attend the next municipality meeting just the same.

“It wouldn’t hurt to know what they’re about.” Maxwell stated.

In the end, Council decided to authorize a Council member to go to the meeting. But they would almost have “observer” status, as no commitments could be made regarding participation in a municipal grouping. Some positions coming from a meeting of that sort might not reflect the way things have been working for this community.

“I don’t see anything wrong with sending someone to see what’s going on,” said Councillor Al Pearen, “but we would not want to get caught up (in commitments).”