The replacement for Saskatchewan Hospital proved a hot topic both inside and outside the legislature Monday.
NDP opposition grilled the Sask. Party government in Question Period Monday afternoon over their perceived lack of progress on a new hospital.
New Democratic Party health critic John Nilson peppered Health Minister Dustin Duncan with questions about why construction hasn't commenced yet and about the possible use of P3s - public private partnerships - in building the new hospital.
Nilson pointed to the "big pre-election PR event" at Saskatchewan Hospital in 2011, where Premier Brad Wall "invited the community to hear about replacing the hospital with a new $100 million facility."
"He stated then the construction would begin in the spring of 2013," said Nilson. "Mr. Speaker, it's now sort of spring, but it's spring, but the work to break ground has yet to happen because the Sask. Party government has delayed once again."
Directing his question at the minister of Rural and Remote Health, Randy Weekes, whom Nilson noted was from the area, he asked "why has the Sask. Party government broken its promise to build the Saskatchewan Hospital this spring?"
Instead of hearing from Weekes, it was Duncan who rose to respond.
"This government and this premier's commitment to a new Saskatchewan Hospital at North Battleford couldn't be more clear," Duncan said, pointing to the $450,000 that had been committed to Prairie North Health Region for scoping and the $8 million committed for detailed planning in the past.
"But we also know Mr. Speaker, that the existing facility does serve other ministries, for instance corrections," said Duncan. "We know that the power plant serves other facilities and so we know the future of the existing facility, Mr, Speaker, has an impact on other ministries. That's why we are taking time to make sure that when we do get to the point where construction is ready to proceed on a new Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford that it will be a facility that will serve the people of this province very well for many years to come.
Nilson responded by comparing the Sask. Hospital project to the $100 million pipeline project to Montana "that's disappeared into thin air," he said.
"The plan was for the Sask. Hospital to be built at a cost of $100 million. Now the health region says the costs have risen by $10 more million, so it's $110 million. One of the reasons for the delay is the so-called efficiency experts that the Sask. Party government relies on can't seem to find the time to meet with the people in the Battlefords. Mr. Speaker, the longer the planning takes, the higher the costs will be. This impacts the community and the health region, and it impacts the patients who are waiting for new facilities. Why has the Sask. Party delayed the work on the Saskatchewan Hospital replacement and in doing so increased the cost by $10 million already?"
"It would be incorrect for that member to say work has stopped on that project, Mr. Speaker," responded Duncan, "because work does continue."
Duncan went on to roast Nilson and the NDP for their 2002 review that stated "two wards needed to be closed because they were unfit for human habitation ... And then, in 2006, they committed $39 million to the health region. But you know what Mr. Speaker? They never actually sent the money, so work was delayed by the previous government."
"If the New Democrats were in power the hospital would have been built by now," was Nilson's retort.
He then accused the government of "wanting to use this privatization scheme," referring to SaskBuilds, and "drive up the costs rather than lowering them." Nilson said this meant Saskatchewan people would be paying more up front and later down the line, and "it won't even be built in the timeline, the most recent timeline of the premier."
"Can the minister say now when this project will be completed and what will be the cost to the people of Saskatchewan?" asked Nilson.
Duncan responded that it was "stunning" for the member to say "this hospital would be finished ... It is absolutely laughable and the people of this province know it. "
He pointed to other announcements made under the NDP government where nothing materialized, pointing to the "academic health sciences, and we know what happened to that facility absolutely nothing. Now, this government's taken care of that. We know about facilities like the Children's Hospital, Mr. Speaker, where the members opposite didn't get around to that one either."
Duncan also pointed to the 13 long-term care facilities across the province that were now being built, that "the members opposite didn't get to."
"This government stands by its record, when it comes to making commitments on capital infrastructure renewal in this province and we will when it comes to the North Battleford hospital," said Duncan.
Saskatchewan Hospital was also a hot topic of conversation at a breakfast gathering at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce earlier in the morning.
There, provincial Finance Minister Ken Krawetz stated some of the same talking points repeated by Duncan in the legislature that afternoon.
Krawetz referred to the multiple number of ministries impacted.
"It's a project that doesn't just involve one ministry - that is, health care" Krawetz told reporters. "It involves justice, it involves corrections and public safety. And we're looking at the kind of facility that will best serve this area and serve it for a long period of time."
He referred to the analysis of P3 opportunities for Sask. Hospital under SaskBuilds to happen this year.
"If that analysis shows that the conventional method of funding, which has been the way the government has funded in the past is the best way, then that's what we'll do. If there are alternatives to ensure the building gets built in an expeditious fashion and the costs are spread over a certain number of years, but it's the best in financial efficiency for the people of the province, we're going to look at that. We're committing to looking not only at one way of moving infrastructure forward, and it doesn't mean just the Battlefords health centre, it's a number of areas, including highways."
As for a time frame, Krawetz said "the sooner the better for the hospital. I think the SaskBuilds committee has been challenged with the Saskatchewan Hospital probably being priority number one. And that's being worked on right now as we speak. As we move forward for the next three or four months there will be options that I'm sure will be developed by the SaskBuilds committee, and that we'd put forward to cabinet."
