Penticton Director Dan Ashton told the board that the hospital got some action - but didn’t get into the budget as a result of a recent doctor’s town hall meeting that saw 800 residents show up to discuss provincial funding for the proposed Penticton Regional Hospital Patient Care Tower.
“The premier said she would be pushing this through,” Ashton said, noting that the region had to do its due diligence in putting the business case forward first.
Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital Board Chair, Janice Perrino told the board that other interior health projects were given consent before the business case was presented.
“This is about politics,” she said, “We’re in election mode now. At least the premier was there. No one else was.”
Perrino said the NDP was avoiding the hospital issue. Penticton Councillor Gary Litke said that the region had been putting money aside for the project for 10 years.
“We shouldn’t go away and be quiet,” he said, “we need continued community pressure.”