BC NDP promises to build new hospital in Burnaby, if elected
Posted April 25, 2017 11:51 am.
Last Updated June 15, 2017 4:14 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – BC NDP Leader John Horgan’s campaign bus made a stop in Burnaby this morning where he promised to build a brand new hospital in that city. And that’s just one part of a multi-year, $10 billion spending commitment, should the party win the May 9th election.
Horgan says the new hospital would take about $1.25 billion from the capital spending pool. It would also include an urgent family care centre which Horgan claims will relieve pressure on emergency rooms while reducing wait times.
“We’ve been talking about replacing this hospital, certainly since I became leader [of the BC NDP]. We were talking about it before the last election. I’ve been working with Kathy Corrigan, our outgoing MLA, on this issue for the past three years. We’re ready to go. We just need to make sure we have the appropriate location and then we’re off to the races.”
Burnaby Hospital made headlines back in 2012 after 84 people died there as a result of a widespread C. difficile outbreak. With that context in mind, Horgan adds the new facility is long overdue. “Although Christy Clark made promises before the last election to do something about the Burnaby Hospital, here we are before this election and still it’s hallow promises from the BC Liberals.”
Horgan also took the opportunity today to accuse BC Liberal Leader Christy Clark of moving BC towards a two-tiered healthcare system for the benefit of the wealthier. In the past, Clark has attacked Horgan on big spending promises like this, saying they would plunge the province deep into the red.
