EDMONTON - Health Minister Stephen Mandel said Friday it would be “irresponsible” to build a new Misericordia Hospital without considering alternative health-care delivery options.

Mandel also said the province must undertake an “actuarial study” to determine where any new health facilities ought to be built.

“There are all kinds of questions to be asked, we’re getting those answers, and once we get those answers we’ll make decision,” Mandel said. “But I think it’s a bit irresponsible to say let’s just build because something has to be built.”

Mandel made the comments while fighting a byelection battle in Edmonton-Whitemud against opponents who support building a new hospital to replace the 45-year-old Misericordia, which is plagued by mould, floods, electrical system problems, inoperative elevators and, most recently, a fly infestation.

“We will do something. We’ve committed to $40 million for the Misericordia to keep it open for the next couple of years but this is about the future, and let’s not make a mistake by just deciding it’s the best thing in the world to build a hospital,” Mandel said.

“I think there’s lots of interesting and very eclectic and dynamic ideas to build things that are going to be what’s great for our citizens, and that’s what we should look at.”

Mandel highlighted surgical programs, outpatient services and “bed systems” as areas that warrant rethinking.

“Historically, hospitals were the centre of everything. Now, if you look at hospitals, people are going in for so many more day surgeries,” he said. “How do we do that in a different way, a more efficient way?”

NDP candidate Dr. Bob Turner, who has worked as an oncologist in Alberta for 35 years, said Mandel is employing a “delay tactic” he has seen many times before and that he is “insulting the good work of many, many health-care providers” who have worked tirelessly to create an efficient system.

“It makes my blood boil. I’ve waited all my life to upbraid these guys because they think that just because they can balance a chequebook they can manage a health-care system,” he said.

“This business about how we’re going to have a new format for hospitals, this has been talked about for at least a dozen years. The studies have been done.

“What we are lacking now is infrastructure.”

Liberal candidate Donna Wilson, a nurse and health researcher, said Mandel is wasting money trying to repair an old hospital when a new one is clearly needed.

“They don’t need another study. They need to bite the bullet, do some long-term planning, and get that hospital built quickly,” Wilson said. “The evidence is there.

“This is very irresponsible, if not stupid, to say ... maybe we don’t need a hospital.”

Voters in Edmonton-Whitemud will go to the polls Oct. 27.

kkleiss@edmontonjournal.com

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