B.C. NDP criticizes pace of work to upgrade St. Paul’s Hospital
Premier Christy Clark says plans to upgrade St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver are moving forward but the New Democrats claim progress has been too slow.
“This has been a glacial pace, the redevelopment of St. Paul’s,” said NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, who represents the riding where the hospital is located.
A final concept plan and business plan for the hospital improvements are expected to be ready by 2014, the B.C. government announced today (June 13).
The renewal project is expected to include construction of a new outpatient care tower, infrastructure improvements, and renovations such as seismic upgrades.
Premier Clark said the century-old hospital on Burrard Street has “significant infrastructure challenges”.
“It’s critically important that we take the next steps in the redevelopment of this very, very important hospital, some would say the heart and soul of healthcare here in British Columbia,” Clark said at a news conference.
“I want patients and I want our health-care professionals to know that they can have confidence in the great priority that my government has put on redeveloping this hospital, modernizing it, and bringing it into this new century.”
The NDP criticized the premier’s announcement, saying the B.C. government has been promising to improve the hospital for years.
“There is a concept plan, yet today she [Clark] announces that she’s going to commit to St. Paul’s by producing a concept plan. Well, we already have one from 2010,” Chandra Herbert told reporters.
“It’s an attempt at electioneering and pretending you’re doing something when in fact you’re doing nothing.”
Meanwhile, the B.C. government’s pledge to move forward on the upgrades was welcomed by Providence Health Care, the organization that runs the hospital.
“The St. Paul’s renewal project will revitalize our ability to provide the latest and best care to more people. It will be faster care and more effective care,” Providence Health Care CEO Dianne Doyle said.
Today’s news conference at St. Paul’s Hospital follows an announcement yesterday by the province about plans to redevelop Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.
Comments
5 Comments
Changing my vote
Jun 13, 2012 at 2:07pm
Two and a half years just to do a second concept plan? Not sufficient. Find what the roadblocks are. Fix them. Begin construction spring/summer 2013. Enough excuses.
DavidH
Jun 13, 2012 at 2:54pm
Christy Clark has made a (short) career of announcing plans that have no teeth. In the tech business, it used to be called "vapourware".
The Families Plan, the Jobs Plan, the Bullying Plan ... and now the St.Pauls and Royal Columbian Plans. No budgets, no time frames, no measurables, no nothing.
Promises are cheap. So DO SOMETHING!
I'll believe the major hospital improvements when I see cranes on the sites and lots of people with hardhats. Until then, the plans are meaningless.
e.a.f.
Jun 13, 2012 at 2:57pm
What just get started? Surely you jest! If they just started they just might finish it before an earthquake. They would have to spend the money on actual construction & then staffing. They don't have the money. This way they can promise & then when the NDP comes to power they will have to deliver.
Yes, the hospital needs to be replaced asap. The need for a "business plan" is ridiculous. A hospital & the services it provides is not a "business". It is a service provided by the government to the taxpayers in exchange for their taxes & msp fees. Yes, a hospital should be run in a business like manner but it is not a business nor is it designed to make money. it is to deliver health care to the citizens of Vancouver.
Now as to a "business plan", why? They didn't seem to need one for the new roof of the stadium or the shadow tolls to whistler, why for the hospital. These "business plans" cost a lot of money. That money could better be used to provide adequate cleaning services in the hospital.
I'm sure someone still has the building plans for the Surrey hospital extension which Patison donated to so generously & they certainly have built enough towers in the downtown area that a company could get busy tomorrow, if the government wanted. They don't want to. They just want to take the heat off of themselves on St. Paul's & RCH.
When complaints are now made, regarding these hospitals, the government will lay the blame somewhere else saying, they approved it, its just waiting for the "business plan". "business plan" to me just means more delay tactics for a government who doesn't plan on delivering anything except maybe the liquor distribution branch to one of their lieberal insider friends.
bobo
Jun 13, 2012 at 3:06pm
HaHa, Spenser's comment about Christy Clark "It's an attempt at electioneering and pretending you're doing something when in fact you're doing nothing". That's exactly what the NDP is doing - as usual. No surprise they are criticizing, it's what they do best.
DavidH
Jun 13, 2012 at 5:09pm
@ BooBoo: Sadly, I think you probably represent the average BC and Canadian voter ... uninformed and thoughtless.
Majority governments, like the BC Liberals, have complete authority to do things. Opposition parties do not. Governments have spending power. Opposition parties do not. Comparing one to the other - as you have done - demonstrates a complete ignorance of how our world works.
Until we subject people like you to something like an IQ test, before we give you the authority to vote, we will always end up with a government we don't deserve.
"HaHa" to you too, pal.