Quesnel City Council will be writing a letter of support for Northern Health’s proposed ICU and Emergency Room expansion project at G.R. Baker Hospital.
But it won’t be going to the Ministry of Health.
Mayor Bob Simpson says “The main reason for that is the large capital project fund is a very onerous, very long process that puts them in competition with new hospitals and new capital projects everywhere.”
Simpson says Health Minister Terry Lake suggested to go through the Ministry of Finance because that is for smaller projects and has a fast tracked approval process
Simpson says they will hold off on writing the letter until the North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee has had a chance to join in.
The proposed expansion, if approved, would see the Emergency Room grow by three times what is there now.