Minister announces Stephenville hospital tender call

Health and Community Services Minister, Roger Grimes, announced today that tenders for the first phase of the new $30 million health care facility in Stephenville are proceeding as planned.

"While we are pressured with ever increasing demands for increased health care spending and while it is true that we continue to run operating deficits, the government is committed to completing the much-needed new facility in Stephenville," said Minister Grimes.

The new facility is double the operational size of the current facility changing from 60,000 square feet of functional space to 120,000 square feet. All existing medical programs and services will be continued in larger, more modern and much improved space.

As well, a new mammography program for the western region will be centered in the facility.

"While we commit to funding the necessary medical programs and services, we cannot spend money unnecessarily and on such things as kitchen facilities," said Mr. Grimes. "The norm across North America today is to have proper kitchen facilities serve several facilities efficiently with quality food and that is what will happen in Stephenville."

The additional costs for a separate stand alone kitchen range from $1 million to $1.5 million in capital construction and from $300,000 to $500,000 extra to operate each year.

"This kind of money is gladly spent to add services such as mammography," said Mr. Grimes, "but it cannot be justified to spend it unnecessarily and needlessly."

Media contact: Carl Cooper (709) 729-1377.

2000 08 31 2:55 p.m.