Mayor Fred Bates and the rest of Cumberland council would like some straight answers from the Vancouver Island Health Authority about the rationale used to determine the location for a new hospital in the Comox Valley. At Tuesday’s council meeting, Bates reiterated he has a beef with the process that “took VIHA off track” before announcing the hospital will be located near Crown Isle in Courtenay. He suggests a better location would be near the Inland Island Highway or on the Comox Valley Parkway, but not on the Comox peninsula. “This is not a Cumberland whine,” said Bates, who had hoped local government, VIHA and the province could revisit the original proposal for a regional facility. “It doesn’t make sense,” echoed Coun. Bronco Moncrief. “VIHA has let the public down.” Bates and Moncrief, both former chairs of the Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District board, also object to replacing the original regional hospital concept with a community hospital-support model.Moncrief noted a truly regional facility would attract specialists. On the flip side, hospital patrons don’t know where they might end up with a split-facility model. He also notes taxpayers are stuck with a 40-per-cent bill increase, in reference to the original $350 million for a regional hospital jumping to $600 million for hospitals in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.”I know we’re not going to win this,” Moncrief said. Still, Bates has written VIHA officials to express their concerns.The health authority considered 22 possible hospital locations in the Comox Valley, which was shortlisted to six sites, including one in Courtenay and one on the inland highway. The following criteria acted as a guide to make the selection:• Alignment with VIHA and regional planning objectives;• Financial considerations (land acquisition and servicing costs);• Infrastructure (road capacity and utilities);  • Access considerations (proximity to population, on or off transportation arterials);• Clinical considerations.”In the final review we found that the Ryan Road site emerged as the best site when all factors were considered simultaneously,” Georgina MacDonald, VIHA vice-president of planning and improvement, stated in a May 16 letter to Bates. She said VIHA officials are willing to meet with Comox Valley mayors to discuss the selection.”I recognize there is no one perfect location for the new Comox Valley hospital, but we are confident that the selection of this location was fair and transparent and that it will serve the needs of Comox Valley (and indeed North Island) residents for many decades to come.”reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com

Comox Valley Record