Peel Memorial Hospital (PMH) was a 367-bed acute care hospital located in central Brampton, Ontario Canada. PMH was founded in 1925 and became a part of the William Osler Health Center in 1998. Until recently it served approximately 450,000 residents in Brampton and the surrounding areas. Over 96,832 patients were treated on an out-patient basis, another 70,446 residents used the 24/7 emergency department and 22,889 patients were admitted for inpatient care (2001 estimate). The hospital employed over 1,800 professional and support personnel. There were 320 physicians as well as approximately 600 volunteers that contributed their services and fund raising efforts. On Sunday October 28, 2007, health care programs and services at Peel Memorial Hospital were discontinued and all services were transferred to the new William Osler Health Center, Brampton Civic Hospital, leaving the 450,000 residents of Brampton with only one hospital. To date no plans have been made for the PMH site, it sits empty and fenced off from the public. Through connections with city and regional councilors I was allowed inside to photograph what amounts to, the death of a hospital. Some things still remain to let you know what went on here, but it is mostly a shell of a hospital now. To be sure I was being handled by my tour guide but these photos really tell a story of how fractured socialized medicine is in Canada. The Provincial government is responsible for hospitals and ensuring that there is adequate care for the population. With 450,000 people living in Brampton right now (and that number is expected to hit 600,000 plus in a few years ) one hospital just doesn?t cut it.
Photo documentary story / Photojournal by Canadian photographer Stephen Uhraney (Hits: 239035)
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