A milestone 20 years in the making was celebrated today, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Markdale Hospital.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers, former MPP for the riding Bill Walker, area mayors and Brightshores Health System executives were among those who attended the event.
The new, $70 million hospital will replace the aging Centre Grey General Hospital down the street. It will have a 24/7 ER, seven patient rooms, palliative care, physiotherapy, diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care, a lab, a cafe and other services.
The hospital is due to open to patients at 6 a.m. sharp on Sunday, September 24th. Up until that point the old hospital will be taking patients.
Chair of the Centre Grey Health Services Foundation Harvey Fraser says over the years, the community raised about $12 million for the hospital.
Foundation Executive Director Darlene Lamberti says government paid for 90 per cent of the bricks and mortar, and the community paid for 10 per cent of the build itself, as well as what’s inside the hospital.
“One hundred per cent of the furniture, fixtures and equipment so the chairs, the x-ray machines, the gurneys, the IV poles, absolutely everything inside here was paid for by the community,” says Lamberti.
As for the old hospital site, Lamberti says it will be up to Brightshores to decide what it will do with the property.
While some other hospitals in the region are experiencing temporary ER closures (at times, Chesley, Durham, Walkerton) due to a lack of staffing, Ford noted, “Since we’ve been in office, there are 60,000 new nurses registered. I always ask the minister, where are they all? Where’s the 60,000? But 15,000 alone, were registered last year.”
Health Minister Sylvia Jones highlighted the government’s effort to bring more healthcare workers to rural areas through its Learn and Stay grant. Jones says it provides up-front funding for tuition and book costs for nurses, lab techs and paramedics who are looking to learn, and then stay in their communities.
About 170 protesters gathered along the roadside near the hospital entrance, many of whom were protesting Bill-23 which relates to the Greenbelt, while others were there to speak out against privatization of public healthcare.