The Atkinson study proposed 241 beds in 1994/95. The figures related to bed closures were contained in a report to memâ€" bers Tuesday by OTMH viceâ€"presiâ€" dent of finance, Claude Dubois. Number of beds not related to level of service The federal â€"Progressive Conservative riding association of Oakvilleâ€"Milton is holding its annuâ€" al meeting on Thurs., April 14th, at 7 p.m., at Le Dome in Oakville. Le Dome is located at 1173 North Service Road, between Eighth Line and Ford Drive. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. Oakvilleâ€"Milton Conservatives annual meeting on April 14th The program includes election of the association executive, an address by Senator Michael A. Meighen, and an open forum for members to discuss principles and issues. OTMH president, Dieter Kuntz, SUPER STORE (Continued from page 1) m NO DOWniPAYMENT 12 NO MONTHLY PAYMENT NO INTEREST ® UP TO 10 YEAR PAYEMNTS *0.A.C. on selected items. Excludes applicable taxes, delivery and installation Smgle Admlssmn Waterfront Buttons N SALE from April 15 at: f Municipal Building, Town of Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Country Squire Road/QEW $5.00 (Before the Festival) $7.00 (During the Festival) INCLUDES FREE BUS TRANSIT * CHILDREN UNDER 5 FREE said that the bed numbers contained in the Halton District Health Council‘s hospital resource utilizaâ€" tion study â€" headed by Dr. John Atkinson â€" stated that both hospitals in Oakville and Burlington were "overbedded." "We have an obligation to get the beds down," said Kuntz. He noted that the ministry evaluates hospitals on any inefficiences, including both PUD length of stays and a higher than necâ€" essary number of beds. "All of that can contribute to us as being deemed ‘"inefficient‘" he said. Inefficient hospitals, he said in his preamble to the financial report, can place the provincial funding in jeopâ€" ardy. At the time of the Atkinson study, chief of staff, Dr. Keith Phillips, expressed his own doubts about the OTMH Chief of Staff: low numbers of recommended beds for OTMH. But Tuesday, he said the number of beds is not necessarily related to the level of service. He pointed to the changing nature of medicine which is no longer tied to hospital admissions. "Our whole philosophy is changâ€" ing. We don‘t see health care is sufâ€" fering because of shorter hospital stays and home care... It‘s not always the number of beds; it‘s related to the F level of staff. And I don‘t think there C c: is any question that there has been a C 7 decrease in the level of care," he said, é following the meeting. 7 â€" During the meeting, Phillips noted that the beds most in need are often in surgery or medicine. Recently, there were as many as eight people waiting in observation at one time for a hospital bed, he said. YUVNVI 40 NOINIWOGq %#% SNOLNIOHWLL Â¥ IDNVMNSNI IDNIAGAS %# Sponsorship Heroes: by Steve Nease