Dear editor,
Thank you for your recent article entitled Horgan mum on RFP for 120 long-term care beds (Nov. 8 Record).
The comments from Premier Horgan and MLA Leonard were most disappointing. In June 2017, almost 18 months ago, Island Health made a commitment to relocate the four hospice beds located at St. Joseph’s to a secular site while at the same time approving two more beds to be co-located on the same site. Six months ago, an RFP was issued soliciting responses from qualified proponents to build and operate 120 new long-term care beds plus six hospice beds.
Under normal circumstances, a decision would have been announced, and one or more of the proponents would have commenced construction.
I’ve been closely enough involved with this whole issue over the last two years to know that the good people who work for Island Health will have made a decision and that the delay then must be with the Minister of Health.
I also know that at least one of the proponents has the necessary capital and is ready to go.
Are we second-class citizens in the Comox Valley without equal access to long-term and hospice care – care that is so desperately needed?
We certainly deserve more than the wishy-washy answers provided by the Premier and our local MLA.
Reg Crone
Comox