There are more issues at the new Saskatchewan Hospital.
The latest is word from Saskatchewan Health Authority that copper and lead were found in the water there, which means potable water has to be brought in from elsewhere.
Mike Carr, deputy minister of central services with the province, gave an update to media Friday on the situation. His remarks to the media were provided to the News-Optimist by the province.
“We learned on the 17th of October there were some questions about water quality,” said Carr. “And so once we became aware of that, we worked with our colleagues in the ministry of health, the health authority, as well as the partners who constructed and now operate that facility, and undertook a series of tests that are continuing. In response to some of the results we got, it’s been preliminary testing, felt that out of an abundance of caution we should take steps to make sure that all users of that facility have access to good drinking water. We did that because our concerns were that we were getting variability in the results, and we didn’t understand the cause of that. The investigation is now well under way, it will probably continue yet for a number of days, and we are taking appropriate steps to determine what the cause of that variability in the test results is. Once we know more we will take steps to ensure the system is fully usable and accessible to all users.”
Water quality an internal issue: SHA
According to the notice of water quality regarding Saskatchewan Hospital that was issued by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, "Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford is experiencing an internal issue with the quality of its water. A full investigation, water testing and remediation work is under way to resolve the issue."
The notice further states: "Please note: the issue is NOT originating from the North Battleford water supply. Recent tests of city water confirm that the water entering the building is clean."
The Health Authority states there is no immediate health risk, and that "to ensure the safety and well-being of all patients, visitors, staff and others who work in the facility, alternate water supplies are in place for drinking and cooking. As a precaution, please do not consume water from the facility's taps, fountains and sinks. Hand washing, toilet flushing and other non-consumption uses of the building's regular water supply are continuing as usual."
On Twitter the City of North Battleford reiterated that the issue at the hospital is not originating from the city water supply. "Recent tests confirm that the City's water remains excellent and safe for consumption."
NDP concerned
The news raised alarm bells for NDP leader Ryan Meili and opposition health critic Vicki Mowat at a media conference in Saskatoon. In speaking by phone to the News-Optimist, Mowat noted it was yet another problem at the facility.
“This is another issue in a string of incidents involving a brand new facility that was a P3 build,” said Mowat. “It’s really disappointing for us to see a facility that people had high hopes for letting people down in how it was constructed.”
The new hospital, built by Access Prairie Partnership in a P3 process, has been plagued by a series of construction-related issues, both prior to and after its opening in 2019.
Just months after it opened, word came that the entire roof had to be replaced due to water leaks. As well, insulation installed throughout the facility had to be removed and replaced during the construction phase.
“Patients have already been displaced and the community has been affected by needing a brand new roof on this facility,” said Mowat.
She said the NDP were calling for a full facility audit “so that we can open up the books, make this process more transparent and see what we’re on the hook for.”
One of the concerns they had about the P3 model was “the lack of transparency that exists,” said Mowat.
“It’s just astonishing to me that we keep seeing issue after issue and not knowing the price of what we’re actually putting forward here is quite concerning. It’s like we have two options for hospitals in the province; we either get new facilities that aren’t ready to open, or old facilities that are crumbling because the maintenance dollars aren’t there.”
It’s also unclear how long the water has been an issue, Mowat said. “There’s no timeline on a resolution either.”
Sask. Hospital is the facility they have heard the most about recently, Mowat said, but she also pointed to issues at other hospital builds, such as at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital where safety issues for patients were identified.
Mowat pledged the NDP would be pressing the government on the Sask. Hospital issues in Question Period and elsewhere.
For his part, Carr said in his media scrum that the ministry of Central Services has notified Access Prairies Partnership they will undertake an audit. That will be conducted by an independent third party, he said.
“Our concern is we want the assurance that the facility is operating and designed as it should,” Carr said. “We’ve now seen concerns about the roof, we’ve got now water quality issues, so we are undertaking that work to conduct an audit.”
Carr also reiterated that once again it demonstrates the value of the P3 model because “it does demonstrate who has the liability for correcting deficiencies when identified” --- referring to Access Prairies Partnership.
