Hopefully MLA Tom Christensen got the message as he attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Vernon Jubilee
Hospital Friday. While the focus of the event was a $1 million renovation to the emergency and outpatient departments, physicians and administrators didn’t hide the fact that a further financial commitment is required from Victoria. Specifically, they want the Ministry of Health to give the green light to a new diagnostic and treatment tower, replacing extremely outdated and antiquated facilities. With a price tag of $80 million, the scope of the project is considerable. But keep in mind that local property owners — through the North Okanagan-Columbia-Shuswap Regional Hospital District — has stepped up to the plate with 40 per cent of the funding or $32 million. Despite health being a provincial jurisdiction, local communities have accepted downloading as the only way the project will likely ever move ahead. Christensen made passing reference to the need for a new tower, but there certainly was no cash-in-hand. The only promise he made was that he will continue to work on residents’ behalf. That’s great to hear, and perhaps maybe that’s all we should expect from an MLA, but the time for rhetoric is over. The Ministry of Health says it can’t make a final decision until a business case is done, but all it will prove is what health care professionals and the public already know — that VJH’s conditions are deteriorating and something must be done. With a growing — and aging — population — the North Okanagan’s health care needs must become a priority.
No comments:
Post a Comment