Hope was ignited in the campaign to expand Red Deer Regional Hospital by a $1-million line item in the 2018 Alberta budget.
It’s good news a million dollars over two years will be spent on “Red Deer health capital planning,” said Dr. Kym Jim, one of the local doctors raising awareness of the local hospital’s deficiencies.
His group was told by Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman this money will be used to develop a “business case” for how the Red Deer hospital expansion should best proceed.
“Yes, it’s another study, but it’s a different kind of study,” said Jim. He believes this time it won’t be a matter of trying to determine whether changes are needed at Red Deer hospital, but how these can best be achieved to meet Central Alberta’ health needs.
Jim believes this business case is needed to finally get government funding for the project.
“Make no mistake. This is a long process… but this is a good step forward.”
Brent Wittmeier, press secretary for Health Minister’s office, confirmed that $250,000 will be received this year and $750,000 in 2019-20 for planning the future needs of Red Deer hospital.
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He couldn’t predict what kind of changes will be needed, saying the province is still waiting for the results of three studies that are in the process of completion— a Cardiac Care “Roadmap,” a Central Zone Health Care Plan, and a Red Deer Regional Hospital Needs Assessment.
Wittmeier said the money was put towards financing a business case for the hospital because it is clear that some changes will be needed.
Jim is happy the government has been listening to physicians and other health specialists who have been calling for an expansion for several years. He vowed that his group will be around to make ensure that these changes happen.
Consistently Red Deer hospital is one of the five busiest in Alberta. Advocates say it’s short 96 beds, three operating rooms, and 18 emergency room treatment stretchers since 2015.
A cardiac catheterization laboratory is among the services doctors are calling for. Physicians reported in 2016 that that without local access to treat blocked arteries, and long transfer times for treatment elsewhere, Central Albertans have a 60 per cent higher rate of death or disability than people in Calgary or Edmonton.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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