Provincial New Democrat Leader Rachel Notley is hammering the provincial government for not funding an expansion to the Maternal / Child Unit at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC).
Documents obtained by the NDP through the Freedom of Information Act show that the NLRHC applied for a nine bed expansion to the facility at a cost of $7 million.
“This PC government’s blatant neglect of vital health care infrastructure is endagering the safety of expectant mothers and their children. These are some of our society’s most vulnerable citizens and they expect and deserve a safe place to be cared for during such a critical time in their lives,” said Notley.
It would cost about $9 million annually to operate the additional nine beds in the ward.
The documents note that since 1996 the number of births at the hospital has grown 85.7 per cent, and that investment into the unit has not kept up with growing demands.
“Over the next 20+ years, the growth of females in child bearing years is expected to reach 92.6 per cent, and the birth rate is projected to rise another 55.4 per cent,” the documents note.
According to the application the most critical risks of non-approval of the project are patient safety and community satisfaction. Adding that the ability to meet the commnity’s needs is already deficient.
