MAHC 'never expected any group to line up solidly' on hospital redevelopment
The highly contentious topic of hospital redevelopment in Muskoka persists, with a Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) official speaking out about the District adding stipulations to the plan.
"I wouldn't call it pressure added; in fact, there's some real benefit to what the District decided to move forward with," said MAHC board chair Dave Uffelmann on Wednesday.
The current plan is to have a hospital in Bracebridge and another in Huntsville, with different services offered at each.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The roughly $1 billion project includes $77 million in local share funding from the District. On Monday night, council passed a vote saying its approval must be given before the plan for hospital redevelopment advances to the next step.
"I think it's reasonable for them to consider adding some conditions if they feel that's necessary - they're making a commitment of $77 million, and the fact that our District council wanted to add the condition, that's fine," said Uffelmann, adding, "to me, there's a real bonus that they ask the District Chair (Jeff Lehman) to participate with us to move this forward."
When asked where things stand now, Uffelmann replied, "The District Chair has been in touch with us, and our board had already decided to establish three groups to look at some of the key issues that we see in front of us, those being beds and services, transportation and community integration.
The broader community ties into all of those and we certainly intend to involve a number of stakeholders and now the District Chair will be one of those representatives on some of those committees".
The hospital redevelopment plan has been an ongoing issue since early this year, with hundreds of people attending the proposal meeting in Bracebridge in February.
Concerns include dividing specific services between the Bracebridge and Huntsville facilities. Residents and health care workers, including physicians, have opposed the plan, saying dividing the services would limit health care access to many.
"There are many people who have issues with the plan, and that makes sense. We never expected that any group is going to line up solidly behind the plan. There are trade-offs, so that does make sense that people have different views," Uffelmann noted.
"Having said that, I expect we're a long way apart from some people, but I think with many - and I'm thinking in particular of physicians - we're actually quite close, and I'm hoping we can bridge the gap in the near future," concluded the board chair.
MAHC said it understands the need to provide a plan, and the hope is to get the submission to the ministry before the end of this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7021823.1725146389!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Trudeau, steel plant worker have heated exchange during Sault Ste. Marie visit
After meeting with transit workers and the local mayor on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continued his visit to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where he canoed down St. Marys River and hosted a meet and greet at a local steel plant.
Johnny Gaudreau's widow, Meredith, remembers husband in heartfelt social media posts
The widow of Johnny Gaudreau called her husband 'the absolute best dad in the world' and thanked him for 'the best years of my life' in two Instagram posts shared Saturday.
More people than ever are eating alone at restaurants. This is why
The stigma of single dining has faded as more people live alone than ever before. Today, more people are making reservations for one.
Police charge 18 drivers for filming crash site on Hwy. 401
Ontario Provincial Police were busy on Saturday morning issuing tickets to distracted drivers allegedly using their phones to film a serious crash on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario.
49ers Ricky Pearsall shot by attackers during attempted robbery, in stable condition
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot Saturday during an attempted robbery, the city's mayor said.
Orangutan swung in 'cartwheel-like motion' before climbing down tower to escape: Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo says it has learned how one of its orangutans escaped from its enclosure earlier this week.
Man charged after alleged 'indecent act' in family shower area at Toronto pool
A 35-year-old Toronto man is facing charges after allegedly 'committing an indecent act' in the family shower area of a public pool.
A Norwegian princess marries an American self-styled shaman in front of a star-studded audience
Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian king's eldest child, Princess Martha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities.
Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut
Fatman Scoop, the rapper who topped charts in Europe with 'Be Faithful' in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by such artists as Missy Elliott and Ciara, died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut, according to officials and his family.