Long ago, the phrase "never look a gift horse in the mouth," was coined.
We're not exactly sure from whom that quip originated but the wisdom of the statement is undeniable.
It's a shame our provincial government doesn't see it that way when it comes to the purchase of CT scan unit for Estevan.
In an effort to see that St. Joseph's Hospital receives the much-needed piece of equipment, the local health-care group has made a pledge to the province to not only purchase a CT scan and pay for it to be installed, they would also cover the first two years of operation.
All told, that is over $2 million that the provincial government doesn't have to dig through its couch cushions to find.
Seems like one hell of a deal, no?
Yet here we are, months after the local group made their offer to the province, and sadly, it appears Estevan is no closer to seeing a CT scan than it was at the beginning of 2013. In fact, if recent comments from Rural Health Minister Randy Weekes are any indication, it may not be until 2014 before there is some movement.
In an interview with Mercury co-editor Norm Park last week, Weekes had little to say on the matter, other than to mention that a CT scan might have to wait until 2014 budget deliberations take place. That of course makes little sense when one considers none of the money would be coming from provincial accounts.
So it would seem that something else is at play here, and we are left to surmise it's likely nothing more than old-fashioned politics.
What else makes sense?
You have a community - really an entire corner of the province when one considers the support from area towns and RMs - that is willing to spend its own money for a piece of equipment that is undeniably needed.
There's been rumblings that a couple of other communities have been making their cases for a CT scan and perhaps were in line ahead of Estevan - hence the commitment to pay for the machine with local money - and the hesitation of the government to accept the offer is because they don't want to upset Sask. Party faithful.
That is, of course, just speculation but in the absence of a better explanation from our government, it seems rather plausible.
And, if it is politics that are holding up the acquisition of a CT scan for St. Joe's, then shame on the government.
This is a critical piece of diagnostic equipment that we are speaking about, one that could, with no exaggeration, mean the difference between life and death for a resident of this province. Aside from the obvious improvement in patient care that would follow a CT scan, it would also make it a lot easier, to recruit physicians and specialists to Estevan. Really, we could on for hours explaining why a CT scan is needed. Instead, we are left to wonder why a provincial government that speaks about the need to watch its financial P's and Q's has not jumped all over the offer presented to them by the local consortium.
It sure smells like politics and it doesn't smell good.
