New Budget Could Include VJH Beds

Written by Peter McIntyre Monday, 20 February 2012 18:40 
We could find out Tuesday if the long wait for new bed funding at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, will be even longer.  Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster is hoping the new BC budget will include money to address the ongoing overcrowding at the facility. He says getting beds on both floors in the tower would be the best case scenario, but that's not likely to happen. "It's what I'm hoping for, but realistically the money has to be shared around, but working towards it, we'll see how it all unfolds." Foster is hoping for some positive news Tuesday, especially giving the lengthy lobby effort to get new money. "If it's not there (in the budget).....I'll find out,but yes I would be very disappointed." Foster says the hospital's numbers don't justify both of the shelled in floors being filled with beds, but he says there could be other opportunities. "If you look at the numbers on a weekly or monthly basis, they don't warrant another 60 beds, but we'd certainly like to see the older part of the hospital used for something else, and some of these beds opened up." It would cost an estimated 30 to 40 million dollars to equip and staff up to 60 new beds in the Polson Tower which opened last fall.