Wi-Fi Access Not Coming to Hospitals in Watson Lake or Dawson City

Thursday, 12 October 2017 08:33

Health Minister Pauline Frost says it's too expensive to install and not a priority for the government.

Patients at community hospitals in Dawson City and Watson Lake will not have the luxury of accessing Wi-Fi internet during their stay. Patti McLeod (Watson Lake) asked Health Minister Pauline Frost (Vuntut Gwich’in) in June as to why the rural hospitals did not have this service, as Whitehorse General Hospital had free Wi-Fi. Frost at the time did not have the answer, but told lawmakers Wednesday, that the two hospitals were not designed for WIFI capability.

“We have been advised by the Hospital Corporation that adding Wi-Fi to either of these hospitals is not possible at this time and the question is asked: Why is that? When the hospitals were built, Wi-Fi was not part of the design or the scope of the original construction. That is why they were not, and they are not, part of the services that are offered in the communities.”

McLeod responded that she was shocked by Frost’s answers, suggesting that maybe the private sector could assist in getting Wi-Fi to the community hospitals. Frost agreed in too being shocked about the unavailability of Wi-Fi, but added it was quite expensive and not high on the government’s priority list.

“I think that, most definitely, the members on this side of the House are quite concerned about the services that we provide to our clients in rural Yukon and Wi-Fi is not high on the priority list, given the financial pressures we are under. We have an obligation to ensure a collaborative care model health care is delivered at the highest standard possible to all of the clients, recognizing that Wi-Fi, when installed at the Whitehorse General Hospital a few years ago, cost $250,000. At the time, that was supposed to be $50,000, but it cost $250,000. Capital costs to install a range of service that is being proposed could exceed not $10,000, not $20,000, but in excess of $100,000. Is that what we want to spend our limited resources on?”

McLeod urged Frost to reconsider her position saying that patients in hospital appreciate the ability to connect to friends and family while recovering. “This government might think that this is a trivial issue, but when a patient is sick and lying in bed, they appreciate being able to access the Internet to connect with their friends and family. Our goal here in this Legislature should be how we improve the lives of our patients. Patient-centred care — this should sound familiar to the members opposite. This isn’t difficult. If the government wants to do this, they can make it happen. They found $250,000 for the Financial Advisory Panel.”

Frost concluded saying any extra money will be directed into patient care. “At this point, any discretionary financial resources that we have will go to patient care, and that’s our priority.” McLeod took Frost’s position as a slap in the face to the Premier’s often campaign talking point that all communities matter.

(Dan Jones Whitehorse Oct. 11, 2017)