TRIAGE CENTER

Things To Consider

To the Editor:

I support the triage center described and endorsed by The Sun on Sunday,
June 9. I regret that the article titled "Group proposes center for
chronically disturbed" said that with the construction of the triage center
will mean that emergency rooms could be turned "back over to real medical
operations."

To my mind those who suffer from substance abuse and/or mental illness,
both of whom will be patients at the triage center, suffer from medical and
social problems.

I am hoping that a psychiatrist will be on site at the triage center since
physicians often have the most insight into medical or psychiatric problems.

Of course, the expense of having the triage center budgeted for three
quarters of the million dollars annually with only a physician on call is a
consideration.

The other consideration is that we need to observe the civil rights of
those confined. Will substance abusers who are involuntarily confined be
served with the same legal services, including hearings, that the mentally
ill receive when confined?

I hope that with the opening of the triage center that Harrison Hospital
will continue to serve mentally ill patients. Mentally ill patients, are
people with brain disorders who need medical attention, especially
prescriptive medications.

John Freeburg - Bremerton