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| Polson Tower Rally on Canada Day |
The citizen's group pushing for more bed funding at Vernon's hospital, has received a response from BC's Premier. Peter Hill, organizer of a rally attended by 200 outside the Polson Tower on Canada Day, sent an email to Christy Clark a week after the event, and heard back from the Premier this week. "It wasn't just the normal generic stuff that you sometimes expect from some politicians, but actually she did say thank you and appreciated the contents of the email." Hill is upset at comments from Shuswap MLA George Abbott who told the Morning Star he's not convinced more acute care beds are needed at the hospital. Hill says, "It's a sad reflection (when he) does not respect those who are hands-on, namely our doctors, nurses and surgeons." Hill says the medical experts are the ones who have to work in the often overcrowded facility every day. Hill --who has been meeting with hospital staff and local politicians--says a BC government financial rep was recently at the site. "He actually did a tour of the hospital just this past week, so obviously something is in the wind." Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster told Kiss FM last week he continues to press for the funding to put beds in the two shelled in floors at the top of the new tower. "I've got a path worn between the Solicitor General's office, Minister of Health's office and now talking to the Premier about it. We're just trying to figure out how were going to pay for it." The new beds and equipment would cost about 10 million dollars per floor, plus another ten million a year to staff it.
3 comments:
It is now encumbent that Foster give us his comments about Abbott and his position
At a average annual salary of $80,000 per year the staffing cost of $10,000,000 for the two floors would result in 125 employees.
Where would they find the additional staff required (125) when there is a chronic shortage of hospital staff in Canada now?
Right now the IHA is paying over $4 million per year to bring in overtime and casual staff to take care of 'over capacity' patients.
Many of these are young nurses, and there are plenty of them, who would rather have a permanent position in a facility with an adequate number of funded beds.
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