Chak Au says the BC Liberals have known for a dozen years that Richmond Hospital’s north tower is in a state of disrepair, so now is the time to expedite the construction a new one — something a new BC NDP government would commit to doing, following the May 9 provincial election.
“We know that the hospital’s north tower is unsafe since 2005 and it was reconfirmed again in 2011 with another report that says in the case of a moderate earthquake it would not withstand,” said Au, a city councillor and BC NDP candidate for Richmond South Centre.
“If we don’t make the commitment now, it will just take longer. So that’s why we’re asking for that commitment now,” from the government, said Au, who was joined by Richmond’s three other NDP candidates at the hospital Monday for a planned media event.
The candidates appear set on making healthcare a major talking point in Richmond, having now issued a handful of news releases regarding Richmond Hospital.
The concern is an over-utilized tower that, according to assessments, would be at serious risk of collapse in a moderate to strong earthquake. Furthermore, the ground-floor facilities are beneath the flood plain.
Not only is the tower seismically unsafe, (Richmond-Queensborough) candidate Aman Singh said it affects patient care.
“We did a tour of this hospital. Did you know in the basement where you’re supposed to keep storage and keep files and things like that, they’re using that actively as part of the hospital. That shouldn’t happen.”
Singh said Richmond Hospital’s condition is symptomatic of greater problems in healthcare in B.C.
“The problem is not just Richmond Hospital, the problem is province-wide. Government is all about priorities. In the last 16 years we’ve seen the BC Liberal government, and especially for the last few years under Christy Clark, it’s all about the wealthy and well-connected,” said Singh.
Richmond North Centre candidate Lyren Chiu, a nurse, said wait times in B.C. are some of the highest in Canada (according to the Fraser Institute’s November 2016 report) they are the highest in Canada, outside of Atlantic Canada).
The average wait time in B.C., from seeing a general practitioner to receiving treatment, is 25.2 weeks. The average across Canada is 20 weeks.
Chiu said more efficient facilities will help wait times and help staff perform better to improve patient care.
The Richmond Hospital Foundation said it’s willing to raise $40 million of the estimated $283 million needed for a new tower. It presently has $25 million.
The government reports that new plans for a tower have been expedited by Vancouver Coastal Health and the Ministry of Health must still approve a business plan for it. The process could take 5-7 years, according to VCH.
