Township supports group's efforts to get information about Kincardine Hospital

By Liz Dadson

Huron-Kinloss Council(continued)

Huron-Kinloss council is offering its full support to the Friends of the Kincardine Hospital in their efforts to track down financial documents to form a business case that the Kincardine facility could operate independently of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre which includes hospitals in Walkerton, Durham and Chesley.

At the township’s general committee meeting June 1, Friends chairman Gregg McClelland said Kincardine council has given unanimous support to proceed with a Freedom of Information request for detailed financial reports for the Kincardine hospital.

He said the group has had experts review the figures in its business plan but those experts need the line-by-line financial details in order to ensure the business plan is complete.

The Friends are also considering hiring a lawyer to look into the validity of the original amalgamation agreement, why there was no separation clause in that agreement, and where the $1 million in seed money went.

McClelland said the group has sought help from the South West Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN) and the Ontario Ministry of Health to get the financial figures but to no avail.

(next column)

05/06/2009 11:02 PM

When asked by councillor Anne Eadie why the Friends were not at the May 27 visioning session at the hospital, McClelland said they were not invited. He said it’s interesting to note that when health minister George Smitherman came to Kincardine three years ago, he brought the announcement of $750,000 for a study into the Kincardine hospital expansion. That money sat for two years and now the hospital board is running around discussing expansion or a new hospital building, said McClelland. “What happened to that $750,000?”

“I’m disappointed you were invited,” said Eadie. “We were told the government would pay 90 per cent of the capital cost for a hospital and the community must come up with the other 10 per cent, plus anything inside the building. We would need a lot of money to finish the inside.”

McClelland said that two-and-a-half years ago, the ministry was told the cost for hospital expansion would be $19 million. The cost to the community would be $4 million – and not much has happened since, he said.

Meanwhile, McClelland said the Friends have the support of Kincardine council for the Freedom of Information request and urged the township to lend its support as well.

“We believe, with the statistics we have, that we can stand alone, now we just want to prove it,” said McClelland.

“We fully support your efforts and we know how frustrating it can be at times,” said Eadie. “We have to protect the services in our own community. Efforts have to be made to co-operate.”

“Two-thirds of Huron-Kinloss residents use the Kincardine Hospital,” said McClelland. “Both Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss need to look after our hospital.”
The Friends have a meeting with Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell on June 10.