The COVID-19 pandemic has caused challenges in all aspects of life and the chair of Quinte Health Care’s Board of Directors says he can’t remember a more stressful time for the health care system.
However, David MacKinnon told the board Tuesday that all the funding and other financial challenges faced by QHC recently have been handled very well, both by QHC staff and the provincial government.
“There’s none of the scrapping and squabbling, if I can put it that way, of past years. It hasn’t been evident in the past year. These discussions have gone smoothly.”
MacKinnon thanked local MPPs Todd Smith and Daryl Kramp for their efforts helping QHC manage financial difficulties caused by the pandemic.
Last week the province announced QHC could go ahead and tender for the expansion of its intensive care unit at BGH. The cost of the project is estimated at $5.8 million with the provincial government picking up $4.3 million of the total.
And Monday, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced financial support to help hospitals recover some of the revenues lost due to the pandemic and to help deal with working capital deficits.
