New Corner Brook hospital, long-term care facility could be built better, says health minister

Health Minister John Haggie saysmore can be done to make the construction of a new long-term care facility and a new hospital in Corner Brook faster and more efficient.

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Haggiesaid the current request for proposalsonly includes the new long-term care facility, adding he'safraid the focus of the request is limiting other possibilities.

"There has been a body of work done around certain elements of long-term care in Corner Brook, but, quite frankly, my concern is that this is very narrow and we're cutting down our opportunities to do things better, and just as speedily," he told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show Monday.

Haggie said he has asked officials to explore building both the facilities at the same time.

We're cutting down our opportunities to do things better, and just as speedily.- John Haggie

"This RFP (request for proposals) deals solely with the long-term care issue, it doesn't address the larger picture of the Western Memorial, and its replacement," he said.

"That too is something that I want to seek guidance on from my colleagues in cabinet on, because I'm not sure that there aren't some economies, some savings to be had by combining the two projects."

Haggiesaid requests for proposals have to besubmitted before the Jan. 31 deadlineand that the evaluation process has not yet been completed, but all options are on the table.

It is also important, he said, to determine exactly what is needed and strike a balance between providing long-term care beds and acute care services on the west coast, as both are needed.

No funds allocated

Despite the $42 million that has already been spent on the new hospital, Haggie saidno funds had been allocated by the previous government in the 2016 budget to advance progress on the hospital.

"It surprises me that you could, as a government, expect to get something for nothing," he said.

Haggie said that Corner Brook is in need of both a new long-term care facility and a new hospital, but it's important the facilities properly fit the needs of the area.

"This facility does need to be built soon, but it needs to be the right one, and I think the only way you're going to do that is to make sure that you actually know what you're buying and buy the right thing," he said.

"I'm not convinced we have the information yet from the work that's been done to answer that question properly."