Nova Scotia hospitals list urgently needed repairs and upgrades
Jack Julian | CBC News | Posted: June 24, 2016 9:00 AM | Last Updated: June 24, 2016
'At no point in time do we ever put a patient in jeopardy,' says health authority
Nova Scotia's hospitals urgently need to fix leaky roofs, replace fire alarms, remove asbestos and buy vital equipment — but their lengthy $144 million list isn't risking patient safety, the health authority says.
The issue of "urgent infrastructure requirements" at the province's hospitals was flagged earlier this month by Nova Scotia Auditor General Michael Pickup.
He warned medical infrastructure will continue to deteriorate; the annual repair budget of $29 million is much smaller than the $114 million in urgent repairs.
"At no point in time do we ever put a patient in jeopardy," said Rakesh Minocha, Nova Scotia Health Authority senior director for building, infrastructure and asset management.
Long list for urgent repairs
CBC News has obtained a detailed inventory of what needs to be replaced and repaired.
The $93.5 million equipment list is more than 360 items long over 37 hospitals.
That includes sterilization machines, specialized surgical equipment, magnetic resonance imaging or MRIs, ultrasound machines and outmoded hospital beds that pose a possible suffocation danger to patients.
Health Canada issued a warning in 2009 that the rails on some older model beds are dangerous.
The $20.8 million infrastructure list includes repairs at 23 hospitals, including paving, roof repairs, "asbestos management," and window replacement.
Costs estimates secret
The Nova Scotia Health Authority refused to release the estimated cost for each item out of concern those numbers would skew the tendering process.
The health authority also would not reveal the most urgent items because that's linked to the province's confidential budget approval process, spokesman Everton McLean said.
Fire alarm systems
The list reveals Cape Breton Regional Hospital needs a new fire alarm system.
If there was any indication of danger from fire officials, the system would fixed right away, Minocha said.
"When they write us a letter saying that system needs to be replaced, it is replaced," he said.
The NSHA has an emergency budget of $5 million to replace critical equipment when there's no backup in the system, he said.
"Even in the past fiscal year, there was a monitoring system for the [Halifax] Infirmary that had to be considered and funded — and we did that in a matter days," Minocha said. "And we used our emergency funds to do that."
'Most efficient use'?
Despite raising the concerns, Auditor General Michael Pickup said Thursday he doesn't want to make Nova Scotians nervous about the state of their hospitals.
"The bigger point for us was fitting this into what the future holds, in terms of a plan for the use of the various facilities," Pickup said.
"What is the most efficient use of these facilities, and how does that tie into how the capital and infrastructure needs may be spent?"
Pickup had urged the provincial government to examine the efficiency clusters of hospitals, such as the three smaller hospitals within 30 minutes of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
Nova Scotia Health Minister Leo Glavine previously has said he has no plans to close hospitals, but keeps open the possibility of "re-purposing" them.
More money needed
From the authority's perspective, solving the problem will take a combination of better planning and more money, Minocha said.
"One part of the solution is to apply evidence in managing the list. Another solution is absolutely enhanced funding for equipment and infrastructure items," he said.
In the meantime, the list of urgent upgrades will continue to grow.
"Our facilities and our equipment will continue to deteriorate if something doesn't change," he said.