Yukon's building hospitals before finishing health-care review: Mitchell

The Yukon's Opposition leader raised questions Tuesday about the government's commitment to build new hospitals before a committee finishes public consultations on the future of health care.

Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell said the Yukon Party government is committing to build the new hospitals in Watson Lake and Dawson City, while a government-appointed committee has been holding public meetings around the territory.

"They're consulting with Yukoners about health-care needs and making major decisions about health-care facilities before they get the results," Mitchell said in the legislative assembly Tuesday.

"Why did this government make a major health-care decision before completing the health-care consultations?"

Last summer, the territorial government announced firm plans toreplace the existinghealth centre in Dawson City. On Thursday, however, it said it would build a hospital instead of a new health centre.

Health Minister Glenn Hart said that decision is heavily dependent on what residents want.

A consulting firm will first look at how much space would be needed for the hospital, "then we'll sit down and work with the community on its actual needs," Hart said.

Hart said the town of Dawson will host public meetings on the Dawson hospital, seeking views from health-care workers, the local First Nation and the community as a whole.

Mitchell asked how much the government's change of plans in Dawson would cost taxpayers, and Hart did not provide a figure. However, Hart said the project will change as the government gathers more information.

The Yukon Hospital Corp. will oversee construction and operation of the new Dawson hospital.

Hospital corporation board chairman Craig Tuton conceded that itwill be challengingto attract doctors and staff to work at the new facility when completed.

"We do have doctors in the community. They have been there a long time. We'll be talking to those doctors and the health-care providers in Dawson later this week about what the options for them and their expectations are," Tuton told CBC News in an interview earlier Tuesday.

"But of course, attracting health-care professionals anywhere in this country right now is a problem, and we have to be a little more innovative in what we do and what we offer to be able to attract those [staff]. But it is doable."

The Yukon government announced in September that it will build a hospital in Watson Lake, changing from its original plan to renovate the local health centre there.