Bramptonians respond to hospital report

Poor conditions that don't meet current regulations, no upgrades in the last decade, and outdated systems are some of the flaws a report by the Central West Local Health Integration Network has found in the old Peel Memorial Hospital site in Brampton.  That could very well throw rennovation and reopening plans for the hospital, with some parts as old as 83 years old, for a loop.  The report says that, to continue running a hospital on the site, it may not be worth it to fix up the existing building, and may instead be more effective to tear it down and start from scratch.  Another option is to do necessary repairs and upgrades, but opt not to use it as a fully-functioning hospital any longer.

The cost and timing now all depends on what becomes of the site.  Officials held a public consultation Wednesday night in Brampton to get ideas from residents on what they'd like to see done to the building.

If the building were demolished and rebuilt it would take a lot longer to reopen the site than the mere couple years many Bramptonians were expecting for a quick rennovation.  That had many at the meeting accusing the province of misleading them.  "Let's not beat around the bush, we cannot live with only one hospital," one man told the audience.  "If we knew that we were going to have one hospital (for so long) then why, (during) election time, why were we lied to that we would have two hospitals?"

A few other ideas were suggested for the site, like focusing it strictly on outpatient care or creating a birthing facility, but most in attendance say a full-fledged second hospital is their priority, and with Brampton's population growth, they want it sooner rather than later.

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