In response to Liza Schmalcel letter Feb. 15.
Lisa, thank you for your letter in the Mirror, and thank you for presenting to the hospital board your concerns on behalf of the community. I have done the same over the hospital heliport. I also found the board members to be attentive and appreciative of my concerns.
The majority of my presentation to the hospital board was dispelling statements told to them by the project managers. To my frustration, after my presentation the managers again dispelled my concerns to the hospital board: “We have dealt with that”, “Transport Canada changed the rules on us recently “, “The emergency landing sites no longer exist”.
Many of our elected officials on the hospital board chose to cling on to these statements because the alternative was much less desirable.
The North Island Hospital Project was a P3 Project. The sales pitch of this type of project was less money up front and when project is completed, it has to stay as is for the next 30 years. Once construction on a P3 project has begun, to change anything is incredibly expensive and complicated. Once the project is completed, it is almost impossible.
To add to the problem, the performance and bonuses for the project managers were measured by budget and schedule. The end product was of low priority. It was in their best interest to push forward, deny or hide any inadequacies or deficiencies throughout the construction process.
I am, like you, against a water fountain at the new hospitals. One of my biggest frustrations was some of our elected officials spending all their efforts self-congratulating themselves, instead of managing inadequacies arising during the project. I feel these overpriced water fountains were an extension of their self-congradulating. Totally unnecessary, and in my opinion, off putting.
You brought to the public that our beautiful new hospitals are already over capacity. Good for you. I brought up the incredibly expensive rooftop heliports are only 60 per cent useable by day and 10 per cent useable by night. Limited to less then two per cent of all types of helicopters. This is because of the poor and hazardous design, no other reason.
I would like to encourage others to take action like Liza whenever an issue comes up. Communicating with our elected officials and the public is how we hold them accountable. In turn, it gives them the opportunity to respond with leadership.
Sean Smyth
