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Where Things Stand - Stop playing politics with hospital
Mac Olsen
South Peace News
Premier Ed Stelmach and Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Ron Liepert should be ashamed of themselves for playing politics with High Prairie’s new hospital.
Since the sod turning ceremony May 30, 2008, construction has been delayed repeatedly. There are some legitimate reasons for this, but I think it’s mostly the Stelmach government being a tightwad.
One reason has been the discovery that the number of pilings for the foundation is inadequate, increasing construction costs. I will grant this is a legitimate reason for delaying construction so the architects can get it right.
However, while the government is giving $63.6 million in one hand for construction, it is using its other hand to slap the local and regional stakeholders in the face by reviewing the “scope of the project.”
All the work stakeholders have done over the last six years, including George Keay, to get a finalized design in place has just gone out the window because some bureaucrats and bean counters in Edmonton don’t want to commit to it.
The government can claim they’re ensuring the hospital will fit the parameters of their Vision 2020 document for health care delivery, but I reckon what they’re really doing is changing the design to fall in line with their tight purse strings.
Sure, we’re getting $40 million over three years to start construction, which may start this year if we’re lucky. Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pearl Calahasen is supposed to meet with a committee to discuss the plan for construction.
However, will it merely become a “glorified clinic,” forcing patients to continue travelling to other communities like Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Peace River to meet their essential services?
Although I wasn’t in High Prairie when the new hospital was proposed in 2003, I know this community is getting the blunt end of the stick from the government. When I lived in Thompson, Man. for 5½ years, Premier Gary Doer’s NDP government fulfilled its commitments to improve health services there.
His government provided funds to renovate and expand the hospital, which serves a regional population, not just local residents.
When the community accumulated its 10 per cent share of money to build an extended care facility, Doer’s government provided the rest of the money for construction. There were several redesigns, but it only took four years of fundraising and only one year to build.
Dialysis service is also in high demand in Thompson and north-central Manitoba and in 2006, Doer committed $2 million to construct a new dialysis facility. They were just starting to build the facility when I left in May 2007.
Thus, I find it preposterous the Alberta Government is giving High Prairie and the region the runaround about when the new hospital will be completed and what services it will provide.
There is no excuse why construction shouldn’t go ahead based on what was approved originally – keeping in mind the pilings for the foundation – and it should not take another six years to complete.
So, Premier Stelmach and Health Minister Liepert, live up to what was originally promised and finish the new hospital sooner. You owe it to all the stakeholders and residents of High Prairie and the region.
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