Mega-hospital top priority, says finance minister

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said a new mega hospital in Windsor is a top priority for the provincial government.

Duncan said he'll try to pushit to the top of the government's capital project budget list.

Last week, a committee releasedits study recommending Ontario build the hospital in the Windsor-Essex region.

"This represents an enormous transformational opportunity for Ontario; to go from two hospitals to one," Duncan said.

He said the change will mean improved care and reduced costs.

"Instead of spending $2 billion to refurbish two old hospitals, you save [up to] $800 million to build a new one.

"You get better service and better quality for everybody."

The report recommends using Htel-Dieu Grace and Windsor Regional hospitals for other community health care needs.

The report on a mega hospital now goes to the province for review.

College worries about mega-hospital

However, the proposal also has post-secondary schools in Windsor wondering how a new mega-hospital could affect them and their students.

St. Clair College currently has 1,800 medical students.

The college said it can't accept any more because there aren't enough job placement spots for them.

Dean Jamie Wilson worries a mega-hospital could make that worse.

"Right now, we rely heavily on our hospital partners for things like clinical placements and program feedback," Wilson said. "Placements are a bit of an issue right now in the community right now. Our concern is that there still will be enough placements."