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Nelson/Creston MLA Mungall battles with Health Minister over IH decision to close laundry services

Nelson Daily Staff
By Nelson Daily Staff
March 4th, 2015

Nelson/Creston MLA Michelle Mungall took the fight oflocal families to the BC Legislature Monday when the NDP rep exchanged heated words with Minister of Health Terry Lake over the privatization of laundry services across interior hospitals during question period.

In February, Interior Health began the next stage in privatizing laundry services, which would cut 17 full-time equivalent employees at Kootenay Lake Hospital, by seeking Request for Solutions (RFS) from pre-qualified service providers identified through the recent Request for Qualifications process.

“We have tremendous local people maintaining and cleaning our hospitals,” said Mungall in a press release.

Mungall took issue with the Minister down playing the importance of cleaning and caring for hospital facilities.

“The Minister suggests that having clean garments and sheets is not part of healthcare, he is pushing to have those services privatized and to bleed more family supporting jobs from interior communities.”
 
The Interior Health Authority has announced that they intend to move laundry services out of hospitals in Nelson, Kamloops, 100 Mile House, Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon which could result in up to 175 layoffs.
 
“Last month this Government released a budget that raised MSP premiums another 4 percent” said Mungall.

“This month we could lose 17 family supporting jobs from Kootenay Lake Hospital, but be stuck with the shipping costs to haul our laundry elsewhere. This is just another example of how British Columbians are paying more and getting less from Christy Clark’s Liberals.”
 

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