In response to questioning in the Manitoba Legislature last Thursday by Steinbach MLA, Kelvin Goertzen, the provincial NDP Minister of Health has issued a new assurance about the start of construction of the Bethesda Hospital Emergency Room.
“I can commit to the member that we’re going to be commencing with construction at Bethesda emergency this spring,” Health Minister Theresa Oswald said to Goertzen during the daily Question Period. (Hansard– April 14th, 2011).
Goertzen pressed the government noting that they have given a number of different potential start times in the past and reminded the Minister that she also committed last year that construction would begin in the fall of 2010.
“I’m going to hold off on celebrating until I see cement being poured for the new Emergency Room. Until then, I will keep pressing as hard as I can to get this project off of the books and into reality for residents of our region,” said Goertzen.
Earlier this year, Goertzen set up a website (www.getbethesdabuilt.com) and encouraged residents to email the Premier directly to get the Emergency Room project started. To date, he says more than 700 emails have been sent and that it has caught the attention of the government.
“They have certainly heard the message and I appreciate residents joining in on this effort. I intend to hold the government to their commitment to have the construction start this Spring,” said Goertzen.
The project was originally announced by the government on October 2, 2007.
