![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/indicator-big.gif\")
<\/p>\n\u201cThat is troubling,\u201d Swain said. \u201cI think if this board wants to do something that\u2019s impactful to its commitment to the health of people in this region, we move on this today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t<\/p>\n
Swain\u2019s motion was unanimously endorsed at the Tuesday, Dec 9 NRHD meeting.<\/p>\n
He said the NRHD is effectively loaning up-front construction costs.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Where does that happen? And that\u2019s troubling, but it\u2019s necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
The board\u2019s share of capital projects at NRGH is 40 per cent, which has thrusted significant regional tax increases over the last several years.<\/p>\n
Replacing the original six-storey patient tower at NRGH, open since 1963, represents the other big-ticket priority project for the NRHD.<\/p>\n
Island Health currently envisions its portion of capital funding for the hospital tower to start in 2029.<\/p>\n
Swain\u2019s motion tied the board\u2019s cath lab pledge as part of the patient tower project.<\/p>\n
Fair Care Alliance, which advocates for primary healthcare service improvements for the central and north island areas, was represented at Tuesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n
The organization\u2019s chairperson, Donna Hais, told NRHD members advocating for the cath lab and patient tower are not opposing conversations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis conversation, it\u2019s not one or the other, it\u2019s a tertiary campus of care that we need and we\u2019re fighting for all of those programs,\u201d Hais said.<\/p>\n
She reported cardiac care on the mid-Island is \u201cgoing backwards\u201d, noting NRGH has been reduced from two to one cardiologist.<\/p>\n
Building a cath lab and patient tower were election campaign promises made by Premier David Eby during a stop in Nanaimo while vying for votes, however both initiatives have not been budgeted since.<\/p>\n
Eby went as far to declare a business plan was about to begin for the patient tower while addressing reporters in October of last year in Nanaimo<\/a>, five days prior to general election day.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be beginning the planning immediately with the doctors and nurses of the hospital which is called the business plan process to plan out all of the services\u2026\u201d Eby said at the time.<\/p>\n At Tuesday\u2019s meeting, NRHD members approved its 2026-2030 provisional budget.<\/p>\n The 2026 budget, at this point, calls for a 21 per cent increase for regional property owners between Cedar and Bowser to improve capital health projects throughout the region.<\/p>\n Estimated NRHD taxation costs for a home valued at $830,000 next year is $534.04<\/p>\n The NRHD 2026-2030 budget must formally be adopted by the end of next March.<\/p>\n Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening.<\/a> Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.<\/p>\n info@nanaimonewsnow.com<\/p>\n Follow us on: Twitter (X)<\/a> | Bluesky<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n