Milton District Hospital

I've interviewed nine candidates so far, and this is probably the #1 issue. It affects us all, and ironically enough it's also the one thing that Milton Council can do little about, because the province looks after healthcare services, and decides who gets a new hospital. The LHIN (Local Health Integrated Network) for Halton- Peel has agreed with a recommendation that facilities at Milton have reached the end of their working life. And nobody can argue with that- how many of us have stories of being stuck in cramped waiting rooms? Additionally an argument can be made, that medicine has so advanced in the decades since the first expansion, and the hospital doesn't have the infrastructure to support the technology.


But it gets more complicated. The Region of Halton is a player in this as well, and has to balance not only Milton and its sudden growth spurt, but the needs of Oakville, Burlington and Halton Hills. Oakville is getting a new hospital at Third Line and Derry, a facility that I've been told will serve all of Halton Region. I've also heard that after that hospital is completed, then they'll move onto Milton, and Georgetown. So Milton has a bit of a wait.

And I know... nobody wants to wait. Especially since growth will continue and really at some point something has to give- physically that facility may not be able to support the town's needs. With that in mind, questions have been raised over how to fund a new hospital, particularly over using the money which, was put into a GTA pool. In theory it's a good idea that could go a long way to paying for a new hospital. But is putting aside money for a long-term goal, instead of toward improving town facilities and other badly needed infrastructure now a good idea? No. I think it's a bad idea because it's a big gamble. Yes we'll have the money set aside for a new hospital, but the province can still say 'no.' And then we'll have saved all this money for nothing.

Does having the money set aside for the new hospital make it harder for the provincial government to say no? It probably does. The province has limited resources and, looking at it from their point of view, if there are limited resources, two hospitals being built 20 minutes apart, one meant to serve 150 thousand people, the other a few million, then the resources are going first into the hospital meant to serve a few million.

Even though control rests in other levels of government, Milton isn't powerless in this situation. We should be lobbying our MPP/MP (Ted Chudleigh, and Lisa Raitt), bringing up the issue with our local councillors, and candidates as a way of keeping the pressure on. And fundraising is a good idea- the first expansion would probably not have been built if it weren't for community support. One of the candidates observed that you don't understand how Milton has grown until you live here. And that's true- we just need to make the provincial government understand that.