Letters, February 12 – Winnipeg Free Press

Opinion

Thanks to the officer

Again: Off-duty RCMP were allegedly assaulted by another parent during a school pick-up (February 9)

A big thank you to the RCMP officer who put his own safety at risk to solve a tragic incident outside his son's elementary school. Most of the time I, like everyone else, turn a blind eye to inappropriate behavior because we don't want to cause an incident for our own safety.

I understand that intervention is not always wise, and sometimes calling the police is the smart decision, but there are many situations where an adult's words are needed to stop or reduce wrongdoing.

We all have a role to play if we want to live in a safe and civil society.

Brent Corrigan

Winnipeg

Love the Fab Four

Again: All their love (February 9)

I started the Rolling Stones and Beatles Fan Club of Western Canada in Winnipeg, a small group of true Beatlemen, lots of fun. I received it once a month The Beatles magazine in the mail, from England. I had fellow Beatlemen in countries all over the world and in Canada. I was invited to stay with my pen pal's family in Montreal and enjoy a week at Expo 67.

The Beatles opened up the world to me and millions of other people, a memory and music that will never be forgotten. Thanks, Fab Four.

Judy Herscovich

Winnipeg

Budget issues

Again: The proposed city budget would keep property taxes at 3.5%, but raise and add fees for many services. (February 8)

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recently proposed multi-year budget for our city as outlined in your recent report. While I understand the city's need to maintain a balance in providing essential services, raising property taxes and various fees is alarming, especially for individuals on fixed incomes and those struggling with rising costs of living and inflation.

Although the 3.5 percent property tax increase is in line with last year, it could be a significant burden for many residents. I worry about the impact on those who are already struggling to make ends meet. Additional charges, such as $1 per month for phone lines to transition to the new 911 technology, will further exacerbate financial hardship for Winnipeggers. Kate Kehler, a spokeswoman for the Social Planning Council, said it seemed unfair to ask people who had trouble paying their phone bills to pay more. As citizens, we must be mindful of the financial challenges faced by our fellow Winnipeggers, especially when economic uncertainty and inflation prevail.

The proposed budget also proposes increases in transit fees and waste diversion fees, affecting both homeowners and renters. Such measures may disproportionately affect people living on fixed incomes, limiting their access to essential services.

In addition, eliminating water bodies in favor of splash pads and closing certain facilities can affect communities, especially families with young children who rely on these amenities. It is important to consider the diverse needs of our residents, including those who do not have access to alternative recreation opportunities.

While I recognize that the city needs to examine efficiencies and manage its budget responsibly, I encourage city officials to carefully consider the challenges these proposed changes could cause to vulnerable members of the community. Prioritizing the well-being of our citizens, especially those facing economic hardship, is critical.

As the proposed budget is scheduled to come before the council in March, I am asking our elected representatives to comprehensively assess the potential implications for the diverse residents of our city. In this way, I believe we can ensure that our budget decisions are consistent with the values ​​of fairness, inclusiveness and compassion that define our community.

With respect to,

Yog Rakhi Gupta

Winnipeg

Many struggles for dyslexic students

Again: Right to study (Think Center, February 9)

Thanks to Dr. Natalie Riediger for a great piece on the right side of the study.

I am also the mother of a dyslexic reader and our family's experience matches what Natalie describes. “Reading Recovery” has been detrimental to my son's progress as a reader, and since we removed him from this program, we have been advocating clear phonics/structural literacy in our school and unit. A surprisingly difficult battle.

I've been eagerly awaiting the Manitoba Human Rights Commission report, but the years are flying by. Additionally, the lack of evidence-based reading instruction in Manitoba's education system is fundamentally unfair and continues to fail dyslexic readers.

Alexis Kanu

Winnipeg

Putting patients first

As medical regulators, we often face criticism from the public, the individuals we exist to protect. Some of the doctors responsible for oversight at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) take the opposite view – that we are too involved in the oversight of medical practice.

Ask any of the 1,200 physicians who have completed practice reviews in the past five years. When reviewing practices, physicians are required to provide CPSM with in-depth information about their experience and continuing professional development. Some physicians require chart review or multi-source feedback, and all participants must submit an action plan to improve practice.

Practice reviews are just one of the tools CPSM uses to monitor the professional competence of Manitoba physicians. Promoting safe care through quality assurance and continuing education are important functions of CPSM. The positive results of quality assurance cannot be ignored.

The complaints department is a separate function of the CPSM, but also focuses on opportunities to improve the quality of care. Formal discipline occurs when necessary for serious breaches of professional conduct. CPSM will warn, censure, suspend or revoke a practitioner's license if warranted based on our investigation or, in the most recent instance, a criminal conviction by the courts. These decisions are always made public.

When the public is at risk, our responsibility is to act quickly to provide protective measures to protect patients from harm. We must work within the framework of the Regulated Health Professions Act, and we are committed to working with the Manitoba government to improve the legislation in the public interest.

Regulating the medical profession is not something that CPSMs do alone—it is something that physicians (and other CPSM registrants) must actively participate in. Self-regulation is a privilege we don't take for granted.

The challenge for medical regulators is to establish best practices that improve patient safety and balance the challenges and responsibilities of the medical profession.

I encourage Manitobans to learn more about licensing, practice reviews, audits, complaints and investigations. This information is in our annual report and on our website. Further public involvement is encouraged by providing feedback through public consultations and surveys, attending public board meetings and hearings, or using publicly available tools on the website such as practitioner profile searches.

We strive to continuously learn and improve our processes by being open to feedback and openly sharing information.

Dr. Nader Shenouda

President, CPSM Council

Winnipeg