Fifty-five jobs are being lost in the laundry department of Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
Alberta Health Services stated that K-Bro Linen Systems has been selected as the province-wide vendor for washing hospital laundry. This was first announced on April 27.
K-Bro Linen, which has operations across the country, has been in Alberta for several decades. AHS stated the company already washes 68 per cent of the hospital laundry in the province.
According to the AHS website: “Fully contracting out laundry services province-wide will generate significant ongoing operating savings over the life of the contract. In addition, an estimated cost of $100 million capital dollars to build a replacement laundry system can now be avoided.
“These funds will be reinvested into paying for more surgeries, building continuing care beds for our seniors, and mental health services – to the great benefit of all Albertans.”
However, the New Democrat opposition has called this plan “irresponsible” and detrimental to communities.
NDP leader Rachel Notley stated, “These plans will cause harm to patients, harm to communities – particularly rural ones – and they will harm our chances for an economic recovery.”