The commitment to move forward with “badly needed expansion” of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre in Monday’s throne speech is encouraging in spite of the provincial election being called Tuesday.
Dr. Kym Jim, a board member of the Society for Hospital Expansion in Central Alberta, said it’s better to have the expansion recognized in the NDP’s throne speech than as an election promise.
“I think it’s a very positive step forward that we’re getting recognition that there is a problem here in central Alberta that needs to be addressed,” Jim said on Tuesday.
The speech by Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell said the improvements “will expand the emergency room, establish a cardiac catheterization lab, and expand other services to ensure this vital part of central Alberta is ready to care for generations of patients and families.”
However, Jim said the society was hoping for details on infrastructure to run the expanded service. The society has crunched the numbers and determined government spending over the last decade shows this region gets roughly 1,000 per cent less in infrastructure investment than the provincial average.
“The numbers out there are so overwhelming.”
Hopefully, details will be flushed out as the election campaign goes on, Jim said.
City Coun. Ken Johnston said the throne speech was encouraging and said he hoped that if there is a change in government that the new government will also move forward with hospital expansion. But right now, details are still lacking.
“Restore us to the capital plan. Tell us firmly what your plans are, tell us what the timing is, tell us what the scope of the project is, and then people will have something they can really put their arms around,” Johnston said.
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Paul Hardy, Alberta Party candidate for Red Deer-North, also said the throne speech falls short on expansion details.
“They had four years to do this, and announcing it the day before they call an election, without much specifics, doesn’t really say much to me. On the other hand, it’s better than not mentioning it,” Hardy said.
Hardy, who was one of the doctors who stepped forward a few years ago to advocate for hospital expansion, said the NDP have so far only allotted $1 million for planning and nothing for construction.
He said the Alberta Party would make hospital expansion happen, while both the NDP and Conservatives spent money elsewhere in the province.
“There have been big, brand new hospitals built throughout the province, but not Red Deer. We don’t begrudge them good infrastructure, but it’s been our turn for quite awhile now. That’s what I’m going to fight for.
“I think the voters should demand that all candidates come out with very clear commitments as to what their party will do for Red Deer Regional Hospital development,” Hardy said.
Mayor Tara Veer said the city has been among those advocating for hospital expansion, and the fact that it’s mentioned in the throne speech suggests the hospital’s needs assessment likely identifies what central Albertans have been saying for a couple of years.
The assessment was in the government’s hands last fall and has not been released publicly despite repeated calls by the community.
“Because it was identified in the throne speech, I think that there’s a very clear expectation, election or not, on the part of the people in Central Zone that the hospital infrastructure is funded,” Veer said.
“It’s about people’s lives, not partisan politics, so I would suspect, and hope, that the needs assessment will be publicly released very soon and that any governing power would recognize the critical need for that to transpire,” the mayor said.
Red Deer-North UCP candidate Adriana LaGrange said her party is very committed to looking at the hospital and cardiac catheterization.
“We know and recognize the intense need that is here and it is a priority for our party,” LaGrange said.
“We have made a commitment to definitely fund health care at the level it is at currently. Anything that we are able to find in terms of savings will definitely be directed into front line and into facilities,” the UCP candidate said.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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