NDP hearing rumours St. Paul’s Hospital won’t be rebuilt at its current location
Posted April 2, 2015 3:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Downtown Vancouver will soon be losing its only emergency room if recent rumors are to be believed.
The MLA for the area says he’s heard the BC government will announce St. Paul’s Hospital will be closing.
The Liberals have been saying for years that fixing up the aging hospital is part of their plans.
But NDP MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert says people have been telling him that it’s no longer happening. “I’ve been hearing from real estate people, from hospital staff, from people who work in the charitable sector, our local business improvement association and others that they’ve all been told that an announcement is coming. That the government’s preparing to break its word to announce that they will be closing St. Paul’s and moving it out of downtown.”
He says no word on why St. Paul’s wouldn’t get the needed renovations and additions. “I’d love to be proven wrong here. I wish I didn’t have to raise these concerns, but there are enough signs pointing me to believe that the government is preparing a betrayal of the people of Vancouver.”
Rumor has it a new hospital at False Creek will replace St. Paul’s, something Chandra-Herbert says won’t do. Both the Ministry of Health and Providence Health Care say they’re working together “on the best way to revitalize the hospital for the communities it serves.”
Full Ministry of Health statement:
“Government remains firmly committed to revitalizing St. Paul’s Hospital. St. Paul’s Hospital is an important part of the network of hospitals in the Lower Mainland, serving a large and growing population from downtown Vancouver, and from across the region. We are continuing to work with Providence Healthcare on the best way to revitalize the hospital for the communities it serves. We must make sure that this fits within the future long term vision of health care in the region and across the province, focusing on more comprehensive community services and a partnership between Lower Mainland hospitals.
We must also ensure that St. Paul’s Hospital can continue to serve the community while the revitalization project is underway.”
