‘Signal of hope’: Pressure mounts to open long-unused space at Kelowna General Hospital - BERITAJA

After sitting unused for years, location is immoderate denotation that an quiet abstraction astatine Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) could yet beryllium nether information for use, according to a leaked memo circulated to immoderate aesculapian staff.

The memo references the unfinished sixth level of the hospital’s Centennial Tower, abstraction that has sat vacant for much than a twelve years contempt ongoing concerns about overcrowding and hallway attraction astatine the hospital.

“This memo is simply a awesome of dream but it’s obscurity adjacent the committedness that we request to see,” said Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission.

The memo states successful portion that Interior Health is “actively engaging the ministry to beforehand the improvement of 6E,” adding that officials are “hopeful these efforts will soon lead to the approval, development, and opening of 6E.”

“It’s disappointing that it has required a sustained governmental unit run to get this speech moving but if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes,” Dew said.

Dew has been pressuring the authorities successful caller weeks to reside what he calls “hallway wellness care” while infirmary abstraction sits unoccupied by many times raising the rumor successful the legislature during mobility period.

“Thirteen years aft Kelowna General Hospital Centennial Tower was opened, why is much than 50 beds worthy of description abstraction connected the 5th and sixth floors sitting quiet and unfinished down fastener and key,” he asked connected April 15.

The rumor has renewed concerns about capacity pressures astatine Kelowna General Hospital, wherever hallway beds person go progressively common.

B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne visited Kelowna successful early May to circuit the infirmary and meet pinch unit amid the increasing criticism.

Osborne did not make herself disposable to media during the visit, describing it arsenic informal.

In a connection to BERITAJA, Interior Health said the memo was portion of ongoing soul update.

“Hospital capacity continues to require observant readying crossed Interior Health to support the increasing organization needs,” said Lorne Sisley, Interior Health’s vice-president of infrastructure and support services.

“We routinely advocator for infrastructure and work improvements crossed the region and building retired further objective abstraction astatine KGH successful 6E is 1 opportunity we’re continuing to explore. We will proceed to activity pinch the state to measure and beforehand our location superior priorities.”

The Ministry of Infrastructure told BERITAJA a business lawsuit has not been submitted to authorities for this project.

“We request to get this abstraction open. We request to springiness group dignity and privateness and due care, not hallway wellness care,” Dew said. “And if we person to support connected pushing, that’s what we’ll do.”