Hospital is coming, Sharkawi assures
Kim Prinz
for South Peace News
The new hospital is coming despite continued delays, Barry Sharkawi assured members of the Town of High Prairie's economic development pursuit committee at their May 28 meeting.
“We’re going to have a new hospital in three years,” he said. “We already have $90 million for the hospital, but we need another $50 million for completion.”
Sharkawi, who also serves on a local committee to provide input into the hospital's plans, was asked why construction couldn’t begin with the existing $90 million.
“We can proceed as is, but the extra $50 million will mean a lot of extras we don’t have, like a CT scan.”
Committee chair Michael Smith asked if there was a start date for construction.
“There is no start date,” said Sharkawi. “But it’s coming. They are trying to figure out the numbers.”
“So why don’t we start working with the $90 million now and wait for the $50 million while construction is under way?” asked Smith.
“We can’t build some things without certain hook-ups which cost more,” said Sharkawi.
“So we said no to a $90 million hospital so we can wait for a more expensive one?” asked Smith.
“No,” answered Sharkawi. “We are getting a hospital. It’s coming – soon.”
Committee member Wilfred Willier reminded the committee that the town had “cut the ribbon four years ago. The shovel is still there. They said ‘It’s coming soon, soon.’ It was the same thing."
Sharkawi stood firm.
“If we start now, the things we want will be shorted," he said.
"We waited this long. What’s the difference if we wait a few more months?” he added.
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