For Saskatchewan residents, long-term hospital care can begin to add up — especially when it comes to parking.
In all three Saskatoon hospitals, hourly parking is $3, daily parking is $12, and a full month of parking is $120. In Regina, hourly parking is $2, daily parking is $12, and a full month of parking is also $120.
On Tuesday, Dennis Ogrodnick shared his concerns about parking fees in the province. Ogrodnick is a terminally ill cancer patient who has spent hours at many hospitals receiving care. He believes that needing to pay for parking in order to get his cancer treatments is “cruel and mean-spirited.”
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“I should be fighting my cancer with all my energy, but I have to fight my government, unfortunately.” shares Ogrodnick.
Ogrodnick, a former teacher and Prince Albert city councillor, says that several patients and friends approached him to lead the charge against paid parking in Saskatchewan hospitals. He responded by saying if the Saskatchewan Health Authority wants a fair and consistent policy, no one should have to pay for parking.
When asked to respond to Ogrodnick’s story, the SHA sent Global News a statement regarding hospital parking in Saskatchewan.
“The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is focused on providing safe, quality care to the people of Saskatchewan. The SHA uses parking fees to cover costs associated with parking facilities in order to direct more resources toward front line healthcare,” the statement reads, in part.
“The SHA acknowledges there are differences in parking fees province-wide, driven in part by the varied practices of the former regional health authorities (RHA).”
Watch the video above to find out more about Ogrodnick’s story and his fight against paid parking.
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