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10 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, December 22, 2000 «/Fît to bc, ted Gemma Aguba (loft) end Laura Gibson put the finish- ing touches on a Christmas parcel as part of the Milton District Hospital Auxiliarysi ongoing gift-wrapplng ser- vice at Milton MaikProceeds go to the hospital founda- tdon. Photo by GRAHAM RAINE LEN WALKER, B.A, LL.B. CRIMINAL LAWYER 192 Main Street East, Milton, amw 875-0869 Appointments Available a ôa First Consultation Free and fiappçe Legal Aid Accepted afay e-mail: lenwalker@lawyer.com aeaômt seaetti9 Halton Heaitheare Services extends warmest wîshes to you and yours this holiday season. Have a happy and safe holiday. and IEW canab'au, cIg"m~t ARCTIC ALPIN@ - Uitra-premium wintsr tirs - Ultimata ice traction - 30-day satisfaction warranty - Meets the R.A.C.* snow traction performance requirements Rubber Association of Canada DFGoo~ch ~ ALUANOIROYAL 876m4788 awt- OPEN SUNDAYS 10-3 555 MAIN ST. IE. MULTON Hospital reàady for the crunch Emergency room busy over Xmas By IRENE GENTLE The Champion 'Twas the week before Christmas and ail through the town, flot a creature was stirring - except Milton District Hospital (MDH) staff, who are poised to tackle the annual holiday emergency room crush if it takes place again this year. 'Me seasonal closing of most famnily physicians' offices as well as area walk-in clinics during the height of the flu season typically has emergency rooms hopping as madly as a shopping mail on Christmas Eve. And even facilities able to handie its own population con be flooded with patients from others that have gone over capacity. So in the hopes of avoiding the seasonal stam, Halton Healthcare Services, which operates MDH as well as Ookville- Trafalgar Memoriol Hospital, has taken preventative measures. Elective surgeries, for example, will be harred during Use busy holiday weeks, freeing up beds for bustling emergency depart- ment traffic, said MDH Associate Chief of Staff Dr. Motion King. And o 24-hour emergency department physicion, along with on on-cati hock-up, hon been scheduled. Additionol nursing staff is also set to work through the holidoys. 'We're staffing to expeet it'll be a heavy use time. We're using people where they're most needeti,' said Dr. King. 'We onticipate the crush wiIl begin the weekend before Christmas." An increase in emergency department health care funding moy go some way in easing the crunch. But for now it's basicalty a wait-and-see situation, said Dr. King. "We've planned as much as we con to give us tihe maximum amount of capacity," she said. "If the volumes aren't significantly différent frorn last yea:f then t think we've gos it well planned." An increase in the flu vaccine of the general population should stave off some of the emergency department pressure. "So it doesn't spread like wiidfire," said Dr. King.