18 Terrace Review — Wednesday, October 2, 1991 REGIONAL HEALTH Cost of eliminating ‘asbestos keeps rising Asbestos is supposed to be a _ health hazard, so the last place -, anyone would expect to find any is. _-ima hospital. But older construc- _ tion methods used plenty of it, - particularly for insulating hot water - heating pipes. So on Aug. 4, 1989, the Regional. Hospital Board “agreed to pay up to a $3,600, 40 percent of an estimated $9,000, to ‘search out any asbestos that might exist in Mills Memorial Hospital, Kitimat General and Stewart Gen- eral Hospitals. This was called a Stage I Asbestos Abatement Pro- gram. It wasn’t generally believed there was a problem at Mills Memorial. The Workers’ Compensation Board didn’t seem to think so, and the board was told by administration - that if there was, at the very most, it shouldn’t cost more than about $20,000 to replace. On Feb. 18, 1990, however, the _ board learned that while there was no immediate hazard at Mills - Memorial, it appeared as though a ‘Stage II Asbestos Abatement Pro- gram would be required. It was already known that Stage II was going to cost Kitimat General _ around $120,000 and it appeared that Mills Memorial would need about $60,000 to pay for removing the offending mineral and replac- ing it with something more envi- -ronmentally safe. On Mar. 24, 1990, the board decided to follow a course of action not necessarily favoured by the Ministry of Health. The prov- ince doesn’t like cost share bor- rowing on projects worth less than $100,000. Instead, they like regional boards to use their 20(2) capital funds on a 60/40 split. So the Regional Board opted to com- bine the Mills Memorial and Kiti- mat projects into a single $180,000 project. This was done June 12, 1991, by amending Bylaw 64 in a telephone poll of the directors. Subsequently, a cost share borrowing bylaw that covered only the Kitimat project was amended at their June 22 mecting, The regional district’s share would be 40 percent, or $72,000. But by September, 1991, Bylaw 64 was already out of date. The Nisga’a commemorate James Gosnell in new D&T centre name All eyes in New Aiyansh were focused on health care last Wed- nesday. Special ceremonies began at 1 p.m. with Gowangani, the Nisga’a ceremony of peace, and at 3 p.m. Heaith and Welfare regional director Dr. Prestage unveiled a plaque commemorating the new name of the Nisga’a diagnostic treatment centre — the James S.. ~ Gosnell Memorial Health Centre.. ' At 4 p.m. the ribbon was cut to " open the newly completed $50,000 heli-pad. That was followed by a banquet prepared by the New Aiyansh YWCA, entertainment by Hubert McMillan’s New Aiyansh Harmonic Silver Band, and a key- note address by Nisga’a Valley Health Board chairman Peter Squire. The heli-pad represents an im- portant step forward in Nass Val- ley health care. Seriously injured or ill patients being transferred to Terrace will no longer have to survive the trauma of a long rough ride-in an ambulance. The James S. Gosnell Memorial Health Centre employs two doctors’ and three nurses who can handle any emergency with the help of the centre’s emergency room, laboratory and X-ray facilities. The centre is designated as an out- patient facility, however. Four beds are available, but the centre isn’t designed to keep patients over- night unless weather conditions make travel by road or air difficult or dangerous. Most patients requir- ing extended care, therefore, are transferred to Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace. Coolness in works for Mills Memorial Air conditioning for Mills Mem- orial Hospital is close to being approved. The Regional Hospital Disirict gave first three readings to capital bylaw number 70 earlier this month, and it should be approved with the final reading and adoption on Oct. 19. The bylaw authorizes borrowing an amount not exceeding $390,000 over five years, of which $234,000 (60 percent) will become the province's responsibility and $156,000 (40 percent) will be covered by the Regional Hospital District. _. The ait conditioning system will do much to improve chvironmental conditions at Mills Memorial, according to regional district ad- ministration. In the past, excessive summer heat has caused problems with sensitive laboratory equip- ment, poor working conditions for hospital staff, and unnecessary discomfort for hospital patients. Terrace Regional Health Carc Society CEO Michael Leisinger says an engineer has already in- spected existing ventilation sys- tems in the hospital; on receipt of his written report, the project can go to tender. And if all goes weil, Mills Memorial could be a cool place to stay next summer. price had climbed considerably and on Sept. 14 Bylaw 71 was approved. This amended the earlier bylaw by increasing the maximum to an amount of $261,000 instead of $180,000, meaning the regional district share could now be as high as $104,400. And this new limit is not set in stone either. It could be mote... or less. The problem, director Les Wat- mough explained to the board, is that the bids for the job are still not in and the maximum figure is based on a best guess estimate. Watmough adds, though, that he believes this latest estimate to be somewhat high for what needs to be done. The regional’ hospital board will be asking the Ministry of Health if it might be reduced. - Watmough also noted that the overall cost of the asbestos abate- ment program to the regional hospital district was relieved some- what by the demise of Stewart General Hospital, which was destroyed after a propane explosion in February. That hospi- tal would have required ‘asbestos abatement treatment as well. Terrace Regional Health Care Society CEO Michael Leisinger explained in an interview why it-is necessary to estimate project costs: there are so many things that need to be done, and so little money available from Victoria that only a - ‘few projects actually proceed. Therefore, it would be a waste of everyone’s time to get firm prices on every proposed project before it -was known whether or not the government is willing to share in the expense. So it is done after the - fact. And although this is normal practice, it makes life difficult for both hospitals and regional boards, Bers Arthritis month came to a gratifying conclusion for local Arthritis Society representatives Joyce - Bergsma, treasurer, and Yolly Wilcox, past president, with the receipt of a $1,000 donation from Terrace’s Order of the Royal Purple #216. OORP Honourable Lady Shirley Townsend presented the cheque last week in the Elks’ Hall, noting that most of it came from the group's bingo proceeds. VERYDAY IS | SHIRT LAUNDRY DAY Men's or Ladies’ cotton or poly blend shirt Richards © on kmerson ‘THE DRYCLEANER & SHIRT LAUNDRY Swing in to our DRIVE THRU Richards Cleaners 3223 Emerson St. Terrace 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Saturday : Phone: 635-5119 [IL CT STR ers Tha dest Famous Gasket in the World Welame Wagon. SINCE 1930 It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon hostess. Karen: 638-0707 Gs eats ont