COMENTARY

This weeks newspaper's stories about hospitals having to place ER patients waiting for admission into hallways is not only reminiscent of conditions in the 50s & 60s that led to the construction of what in the 90s became excessive in-patient beds.

If patients who are admitted are kept in the ER, that facility can no longer function. The next step in the chain will be a strict enforcement of hospital days cookbook criteria. Perhaps a return to the OB rule that an uncomplicated delivery was allowed one full day post partum in hospital. Since the hospital day was from midnight to midnight, a woman who delivered at 11:58 pm would have to be discharged before the following midnight. There would also be more discharges of ill patients as soon as they could in effect breath on their own. No consideration would be given to home or psychological circumstances. A transfer to an extended (ie: nursing home) facility might be considered.

This is the present status of government control of medical care. In our case it is DHSS responsibility that closes operating hospitals to consolidate usage. Take warning, universal health care will lead to greater rationalization (!!!!SIC-SEE NOTE) of hospitals.

Plainfield's proposed 2009 budget which should cover from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 is going to be a disaster. Not only as usual will more than half the year pass and cost occurring then will not be recoup able, but as proposed considering today's economic state, it resembles fantasy football.

Councilor Burney is right, including operation of a closed facility such as Dudley House in the budget is ridiculous. Is the idea to obtain funds that are not being used for redistribution to other sectors that have been underfunded to balance the budget? This has been a common practice in the second half of the budget year.

The council and city administration should face facts and weight the true potential of the 2009 tax burden on a smaller core of taxpayers. Drastic pruning measures in expenditures including salary increases must be considered. Job descriptions must not be altered to provide raises when the grade limits have been reached. All city unions must be willing to enter into compromise negotiations and give a little back. For many municipalities the threat of civic bankruptcy is not an idle one.

NOTE: Where rationalization came from I have no idea, of course that should read regionalization. Perhaps an automatic spelling checker haas a vocabulary that is not as broad or as inventive as mine.