Minister Iris Evans arranged a meeting today in order to clarify the Provincial stand on the Strathcona County Hospital.
Minister of Infrastructure Ray Danyluk and Minister of Health Gene Zwozdesky met with Mayor Olesen and myself in response to County residents’ concerns over uncertainty about phase 2 of the hospital. MLA Dave Quest and Commissioner Robyn Singleton were also in attendance.
Minister Iris Evans and MLA Dave Quest were gravely concerned about recent misinformation appearing in the media.
Ministers of Health and Infrastructure declared their commitment to a full scope hospital in Strathcona County. Phase one was put into an accelerated construction phase this summer. Phase 2 is already in the developmental stage. The Health Minister confirmed that phase 2 will contain 72 inpatient beds and surgical suites.
Mayor Olesen pressed Minister Danyluk for specifics on the current building of Phase 1. We were assured that phase 1 was being built to hospital - not clinical - standards. Mechanical, electrical and technological infrastructure are all to hospital standard in preparation for phase 2.
No details could be given with regards to costs of phase 2. I emphasized the need for a solid time commitment. In response, Minister Zwozdesky cautioned that the economic downturn had left the Provincial government struggling to complete 1,000 health care projects and an actual time commitment was not possible at this moment.
Minister Evans assured us that she and MLA Dave Quest would keep the Mayor and Council posted on new information and would provide timely updates on design and construction of both phases 1 and 2.
Minister Evans, who has championed this cause for so many years, seems determined that Alberta’s promise to Strathcona County will be kept.
If Strathcona County residents want to walk through the open doors of phase 2 of our Hospital, sooner not later, I believe that we must remain vigilant in our monitoring of the development and demand progress as the design and construction of both phases move forward.
To read the Strathcona County News Release: http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/Communications/News_Releases/StatusofHospital.aspx
Roxanne, my main concern in this is that the original plan from three or four years ago was for a facility to be built with 72 (I think) in-patient beds with capacity for more later on. The infrastructure was to be to a hospital standard and there was supposed to be space roughed in for expansion at the time of initial construction (i.e. top floor left vacant). That commitment has eroded to the current proposed outline where we haven't got a time-based commitment for any in-patient beds.
ReplyDeleteThe worrisome thing for me here is the lack of timeline for phase 2. If we knew that it would be built in 3 or 5 (or whatever) years, that gives us something to hold onto. Giving phase 1 the title of 'hospital' isn't really what I think of when I think of a hospital. If it's a clinic or regional health centre (like in Northeast Edmonton) now, call it that and upgrade the moniker to 'hospital' when the building fits that definition.
I don't see the SP hospital catering to critical care when we have other excellent facilities in the region, but I would like to see us able to have basic obstetrics, minor surgery, dialysis and the clinics that are coming in Phase 1, Maybe we could also be a centre of medical excellence for something in the region.
thanks
Ian
Thank you, these are excellent points.
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