If you thought your hydro costs were on the rise, wait until you see what's happening in Ontario hospitals.
The Brockville General Hospital has seen its electricity rates jump by nearly 50 percent in 5 years. The figures come from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that's been crunching numbers across this province. The federation gave CTV Ottawa a sneak preview of what one Ottawa hospital is facing: a 73% jump in hydro costs in 5 years.
At Brockville General Hospital, Facilities Manager Kevin Gordon unlocks the door to the electrical room. This is where the magic happens; the hydro magic that is.
“This is the electrical room for the North wing of the hospital,” he says, “It serves the operating rooms, the ICU and the emergency,”
It's feeding a good chunk of this hospital and the 138 acute care beds within. And like any institution this size, it's a hungry beast, consuming more than a million dollars in electricity costs last year.
Cameron McLennan is the hospitals’s Vice-president and Chief Human Resources Officer, “The cost of electricity has gone up in recent years,” he says, “It is one of many inflationary costs that we are burdened with at hospital and we need to manage that within our budget.”
Here's how those costs have risen, from about $770-thousand 5 years ago to $1.3 million now. That is an increase of 48%. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has been looking at hydro costs in hospitals across this country. It gave CTV Ottawa a sneak peek at what's happening in hospitals in the Ottawa area. According to its figures, and not confirmed by the Ottawa Hospital, the hospital’s Civic campus saw a 21% increase in hydro costs in 5 years. The Federation says CHEO's costs rose about 8%.
And hydro costs at the Queensway-Carleton rose by 73% over that same 5 year period.
The hospital says part of that is the rise in rates but it's also because of a massive expansion.
“Our campus expanded significantly with the addition of a four story building dedicated to clinical care as well as a second MRI suite,” says Justin Wood, a communications officer at Queensway-Carleton, “QCH actively pursues incentive programs with utility companies to help improve energy efficiencies,” he added.
Back to Brockville, the Taxpayer's Federation says a hike in rates means a drop in care.
“We crunched the numbers,” says Aaron Wudrick, the federal director with the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, “and the amount of increase could have paid for 15 kidney transplants so that's 15 transplants that can't happen unless hospital gets more money as a result of increased energy costs.”
There is no doubt there's a bit of politics at play here. Steve Clark is the Conservative MPP for Leeds-Grenville. In a telephone interview, Clark said this is a prime example of the failings of the government's energy policy. But the Brockville hospital, that has a major expansion planned, won't go there.
“I’m not prepared to comment,” says McLennan, adding that the hospital doesn’t even perform kidney transplants. But McLennan assures residents these increased costs are being addressed and not by cutting patient care.
Still, trying telling that to Brockville residents.
“Like parking will increase or beds lost or whatever,” says one woman leaving the hospital.
“If the price is rising, everything else is going to suffer right?” adds another man.
Now, if you think 73% is pretty scary, consider the increase in hydro costs at the William Osler Hospital in Brampton. It saw its rates rise 126% in 5 years.
