Report verifies our concerns: opposition parties
Report verifies our concerns: opposition partiesThe opposition says it's vindicated with Tuesday's release of an auditor general's report highlighting significant failures in the planning process for new hospitals in Dawson City and Watson Lake.
By Ainslie Cruickshank on February 27, 2013
The opposition says it's vindicated with Tuesday's release of an auditor general's report highlighting significant failures in the planning process for new hospitals in Dawson City and Watson Lake.
"I think that this just reconfirms what the Liberal caucus has been saying all along. This is a cavalier approach to spending of the taxpayers' money,” said interim Liberal leader Sandy Silver.
The Klondike MLA has requested that the hospital corporation appear before the legislature during the spring sitting for questioning.
"We have tons of questions now as to why they made the decisions that they did make. We also have tons of questions as to the recommendations that are in (the audit),” he said.
The audit recommends that a health care needs assessment be completed in both communities to ensure the services provided are designed specifically with those needs in mind.
"So now it's a question of, how does that get rolled out?” Silver said.
Personally, he would like to see a move away from the acute care model, in the Dawson hospital at least.
"The good news is the hospital is designed to be able to change, it is designed to accommodate for an acute care model of health but it's also designed that it could change into a collaborative care facility as well.”
Liz Hanson, the leader of the NDP, reiterated Silver's sentiments that the auditor's report simply confirms what the opposition has been saying all along: that the Yukon Party government doesn't listen to Yukoners.
"We are being saddled with very expensive acute care facilities that may or may not be able to deliver acute care,” she said.
"It's a costly option with no rationale.”
"It's after the fact, you've got the buildings up, but there's still an opportunity to talk about the right mix of care in the communities and in Whitehorse as well.
"Maybe they need to revisit the model of care that's being proposed for Dawson, maybe it's that community care nursing as opposed to acute care nursing,” said Hanson.
Comments (3)
Up 0 Down 0
Sylvia Burkhard on Mar 1, 2013 at 4:14 am
June, we won't be having births in Dawson, no operations, basically what we have now! Except now we have $41/2 million projected O @ M, for what?? No consultation, period, we were told what we are getting, I have a huge file on this right from day one if anyone thinks I'm full of horse pucky.
Up 0 Down 0
June Jackson on Feb 27, 2013 at 1:56 pm
Anyone can gather reading my posts that I am not a fan of this government.. it almost pains me not to try to hang them on this.
To be fair, in the beginning, the rationale was that it is very costly to keep bringing people to Whitehorse. The very ill, the elderly, here long term, or people who come here to die.. their families hours and miles away from them, expectant mom's here alone, living in hotels without family.. again very expensive. It seems kind and in the long term, less expensive to provide facility and care in their home towns, and it frees up hospital and long term care facilities in Whitehorse. The Fenti government began this process.
As for staffing, everyone knew right from the start that General Duty nurses were going to be hard to recruit.. As for current staffing.. the Nurse Practitioner's in the rural health centres are as competent as family practice doctors, this government would not be wise to let any of these 'gifts' get away from them.
Up 0 Down 0
Arn Anderson on Feb 27, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Wannabe left wing politicians protesting hospitals and health care? Wow, only in the Yukon I guess, next up on the list is Harper shuts down the oil sands because its the new "fad" of going against your political ideology.
These idiots jump the fence all day long on issues and while you all are agreeing or disagreeing with them wearing your VOTE FOR buttion, these politicians are laughing all the way to the bank with those coveted "tax dollars" of yours.