Letter: Stroudwater Report
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To the Editor:
On Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, the report came out, and it's 107 pages. In the end, it proclaims the residents of this area don't need a full-service hospital.
But when reading between the lines, this area has a higher rate of heart problems cancer, asthma, obesity and an increase of those aged 64 and up. It also mentions the problem of transportation, so it's just these reason alone are why we need a full-service hospital.
To teachers, city workers, homeowners, businesses, the impact will hit you. Plus 400 jobs are still missing, meaning less tax revenues, and anyone who has a job working under the city will be facing cutbacks. The population will decline each year and it will get worse.
This report does not explain how much it will cost to get to BMC and in some cases how? BMC has a problem dealing with the increase, at times a six-hour wait in a hallway for a room.
There will be a public forum on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 5:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Church Street Center and on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Let your voice be heard.
I do know that Stroudwater also did a report for BMC so it makes me ask, did we get the correct one? This report sounds like we need a full-service hospital.
One more question: We were told that copies would be made available in advance to the public. Where are the reports?
The death of the hospital will also mean another death knell for North Adams!
Mike Wilbur
North Adams
Tags: health care report, letters to the editor, NARH,
