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Opposition MLAs are expressing concern about the lack of progress on hospital projects in Cape Breton eight years after they were announced, just as the health minister says those plans are being reviewed.
The former Liberal government announced a suite of health-care infrastructure projects for Cape Breton in 2018, including upgrades to the hospital in Glace Bay and a replacement for the hospital in New Waterford.
Eight years later, neither project has shovels in the ground.
“These projects should be under construction and almost completed,” Liberal MLA Derek Mombourquette, a member of the former government that made the initial announcement, told reporters at Province House on Wednesday.
“It just shows the people of New Waterford and Glace Bay that their priorities don’t matter.”
An aging facility
New Democrat MLA Kendra Coombes, whose district includes New Waterford, said it feels like the government is wasting people’s time as health-care challenges pile up.
The hospital in New Waterford is deteriorating and faces issues with heating and cooling, she told reporters.
“Right now my community is dealing with an aging hospital that is not meeting the full needs of my community.”
Coombes said she’s worried that the provincial government is backing away from its commitments.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson told reporters that her government remains committed to health care in Cape Breton, but she also would not answer directly when asked if the plan remains for New Waterford to get a new hospital and Glace Bay the upgrades it was promised.
Avoid building the wrong thing
Thompson said the government plans to do consultation with members of the medical community and other stakeholders this fall and make decisions based on that feedback.
“I’m not going to presuppose the outcome,” she said.
“We can say that the plans of 2018 are being reviewed, but that’s not to say that we’re removing anything — but it’s also not to say that we’re adding anything.”
Thompson said much has changed since the plans were developed in 2018, and she noted her government also made changes to the plans the Liberals announced for the Halifax Infirmary and Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
“The worst thing we could do is build the wrong thing. So we’re going to take a little bit of time. I don’t want people to be alarmed, it’s simply a pause. There’s lots of work happening behind the scenes even though there aren’t boots on the ground.”
Thompson said that when projects are announced they come with a commitment of funding, but Mombourquette said he’s concerned the budget pressures facing the Progressive Conservatives could be having an impact on what’s happening.
“They ran out of money, quite frankly in my opinion, and now they’re trying to find ways that they don’t have to do the projects.”
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