Since the January 19 meeting of the West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District board, of which I am a member, representing Area E of the Regional District of Central Kootenay, I have been pondering the way the health authorities decide which hospital capital construction projects to recommend to the Ministry of Health Services.
I was at least partly motivated by learning that our hospital district is the only one of the seven Interior Health Authority districts without a single ranked project out of 14. In fact, second phase diagnostic imaging and front entrance at Kootenay Lake Hospital, projected for “2014/15 and beyond” is not ranked, nor is “Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital – New” with the same date, at least three years into the future just to start planning, with cost “to be determined.”
On studying the scoring tool, I note up to 20 bonus points are given for “funding partnerships,” where someone in the community pays part of the 60 per cent of costs normally assumed by the Ministry of Health Services through its health authorities. (Forty per cent is always assigned to the regional hospital districts.) If the community pays over 85 per cent of the costs, they get 20 bonus points. The ranked projects ranged between 78.75 and 57.50 points, so 20 points is quite significant.
In giving these bonus points to boost a project’s ranking, the Ministry of Health Services is moving us toward the American health care system, where ability to pay determines how a patient is treated.
Richer communities, and larger ones, will obviously find it easier to raise additional funds, whether by increasing property taxes or by donations.
The ability to do this has nothing to do with the need for capital hospital construction. In fact, research on the determinants of health tells us that poorer communities have greater health needs, while wealthier communities are healthier.
I believe we should eliminate these bonus points for richer communities. They contradict the basis of our Canadian Medicare system, namely that health services are accessed based on medical need, not wealth.
Pegasis McGauley,Director, West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District