The opposition New Democrats are calling for a full facility audit of the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford in the wake of recent news that the entire roof has to be replaced.
NDP SaskBuilds critic Cathy Sproule has written a letter to the Minister of SaskBuilds Gord Wyant calling for the audit of the hospital. The NDP have shared the contents of that letter with the media.
“As you know, the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford has recently experienced a roof failure because of shrinkage associated with membrane roofing materials,” the letter states.
“This failure, coming so soon after the opening of this new facility, raises significant concerns about the viability of the construction of this P3 build and the potential for further failures over the lifespan of this facility. In light of these troubling developments, I am calling on you to conduct a full facility audit of the Saskatchewan Hospital to determine if any other failures have occurred and identify areas of risk.”
Sproule stressed the need for answers.
“For the sake of the public as well as the patients and staff, we need more transparency on this issue,” Sproule said. “So far, at every delay this P3 has gone through, the government has done nothing but shrug its shoulders instead of providing answers. That needs to change.”
Government officials including the health minister, Jim Reiter, have said taxpayers will not be on the hook for the roof replacement, and the entire responsibility will be with Access Prairies Partnership. Sproule claims otherwise in the NDP news release.
“Saskatchewan taxpayers are on the hook for this $400 million P3 and will be on the hook for paying millions of dollars more to SNC Lavalin in yearly maintenance bills,” said Sproule.
Sproule added that it is clear the public is “absolutely paying for the risks taken on by the proponent.”
