The NDP added a new report that people were “burning their butts” from hot toilet water at Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford to its list of infrastructure grievances about the ailing facility.
The government responded that the plumbing error occurred about a year and a half ago. It said the water was warm and no one was injured.
On Wednesday, Opposition Leader Ryan Meili cited a report released that day by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) criticizing public-private partnerships in Saskatchewan.
The report alleged that the hospital project was rushed because of government timelines, leading to manifold structural problems, many of which have already been reported.
But it also raised previously unknown challenges, including a valve problem that pumped hot water into toilets.
“Workers told us that due to a flaw in the water system, extremely hot water was entering the toilets, and that people were ‘burning their butts’ when they flushed,” said the report, which relied on interviews with anonymous workers.
Meili called the hospital an “albatross” that is falling apart during question period on Wednesday, pointing to earlier reports about high levels of metals in the water.
“You can’t drink the water, but you can steep tea in the toilets,” Meili said.
He also cited information revealed in committee that some wards at the hospital remain closed, while only two-thirds of available psychiatric rehab beds have been filled.
“Is this the result of the government’s complete mismanagement of this build?” he asked.
Central Services Minister Ken Cheveldayoff responded that the toilet incident occurred in January 2019 and the water was merely warm, not hot. It affected only about two or three toilets. He said no one was injured and the problem was rectified within hours.
The government later explained that the toilet “anomaly” stemmed from an error setting pressure reducing valves. That allowed hot water to feed into cold water pipes and, ultimately, into the tanks and toilet bowls.
“No similar incidents have been experienced elsewhere in the facility,” the government said in a statement.
But the toilets were just one of many issues detailed in the CCPA report. It also noted that flooding and water damage issues, which have already been reported, forced patients to change wards “constantly.” One anonymous staff member stated that one patient moved to four wards.
They shared concerns about the psychological impact that could have on mentally unstable patients.
“They already got moved from the old hospital to the new one, then from one unit to another,” an anonymous staff member was quoted as saying. “That can’t be good for someone with extreme psychiatric problems.”
NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat argued the report reveals that the issues at the hospital go beyond the building itself, and are directly compromising patient care.
Cheveldayoff rebuffed the notion that the toilet anomaly, or the long list of infrastructure failures at the hospital, undermines the wisdom of the P3 model.
He noted that the consortium contracted under the P3 agreement will be on the hook for the costs, not the government. Cheveldayoff pledged to “hold their feet to the fire.”
“We expect them to do better,” he said. “So we will be pushing that with them.”
Since opening early last year, Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford has been plagued with roof issues, water damage and impurities detected in drinking water. The government has promised to publicly reveal the results of a facility audit.
Cheveldayoff said it is “very, very close to being completed.”
