The possibly of a parkade being built at the Regina General Hospital is welcome news for the nurses who work there.
The province has asked the Saskatchewan Health Authority to look at how feasible it would be to build a privately owned and operated parkade at the hospital after years of concerns brought forward over the safety of the current parking situation.
Saskatchewan Union of Nurses President, Tracy Zambory, says that having a parkade would be very helpful in the day-to-day lives of nurses.
“This is definitely promising news,” said Zambory. “The membership is all hoping that it will come to fruition.”
Concerns brought forward by nurses in recent years include the hassle of having to leave a patient’s bedside to either plug the meter or move their car. Many nurses who have worked night shifts have discovered smashed up windshields after their shifts are done.
Zambory says that the parkade would be beneficial for everyone.
“The people who live by the General are affected too because all around them, people are parked, sometimes in driveways that they shouldn’t be,” said Zambory. “It’s not just nurses that are going to benefit from this, but we believe the people that live there, and the patients and the families that need to find parking are also going to benefit from this.”
While the process of building of getting the parkade approved and built is going to be a lengthy one, the union is happy that the discussion has started.
The province is expected to decide on how to go forward by the summer.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili has said that if elected, the parkade would be built.
