Rising hydro bills not eating into patient care, Sudbury hospital says

The Opposition membersof provincialparliament continue to hammer the WynneLiberal government over hydro rates.

Last week Progressive Conservative MPP Vic Fedeli said soaring electricity rates were to blame for job losses at the hospital in North Bay.

This week the New Democrats are focusing on the hospital in Sudbury.

They filed Freedom of Information requests to determine the cost of hydro at hospitals across Ontario.

In Sudbury, that FOI revealed that hydro billsat Health Sciences North went up by about $1-million over the past five orsix years.

Those bills squeeze hospital budgets, says NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

"Every penny that goes into a higher hydro bill is taken out of other hospital services and will affect patient care."

Horwath was unable to give specifics about where Health Sciences North might have cut costs, but says other hospitals in Ontario have cut front-line staff.

While he agrees with the figures from the FOI, HSN spokesperson DanLessardsays high electricity bills have not spilled over into patient care.

Lessard says hydro is only a small portion of theentire hospital operating budget.

"We are a $440 or 450-million budget, of which hydro is one component. We're paying more for it, but it's a smaller component," says Lessard.

He adds that HSN has found other energy efficient ways to save money around the hospital around the past few years.

Little things that hospital staff can do to help, like replacing light bulbs, new equipment, and more energy efficient equipment.

"If we didn't put these measures in place our hydro bill would probably be more than what it is right now. It would definitely be more," says Lessard.

He adds that those energy efficient changes have not affected patients or their care.

Most of the electricity at HSN is used for lights, medical equipment, and heating and cooling says Lessard. The Building Services department continues to look for new ways to be energy efficient and save onbills.

Lessardsays he is not aware that officials at HSN have never complained to the Ministry of Health about their higher hydro bill.

"The Ministry is aware of some of the energy efficient savings that we've made and they've certainly commended us for that."

He adds that if HSN can save on hydro costs by putting in efficientmeasures then it would help preserve their funding meant specifically for health care.