Free hospital parking makes sense: Readers

TheSudburyStar.com
Aug. 7, 2016
By Katherine Keown

This week, The Star asked its readers whether or not they think parking should be free at the hospital. Not surprisingly, an overwhelming majority said yes.

In fact, 84 per cent of online respondents - 350 votes - said parking should be free, while only 14 per cent of respondents said no, there should be a charge. Two per cent were unsure.

On Facebook, the poll question got a lot of traction, with more than 25 people commenting.

"Yes, it should be free for patients and family waiting on them," Jo-An Gascon said on the site. "Parking at a hospital is not a vacation, it's when we are at our lowest, health-wise. Besides, most hospitals don't get a penny from parking lots. Parking lots are usually cared for by a third party. It's that third party that gets your money, not the hospital or the health-care system. W5 had a huge story on this very thing not that long ago."

One woman even said parking costs could compromise the health and safety of residents.

"I once avoided going to the ER for something I should've gone for because I could not afford the parking," Tina-Marie Carriere said. "So no, we should not have to pay for parking ... I was poisoning my body by not going and almost died. How is that fair?"

Bob Daigle, who runs a group home in the Flour Mill, said parking at the hospital once cost him hundreds of dollars.

"Free! Even in the $3 days, one of the people in my group home was really sick in ICU and I had to bounce between the home and the hospital, usually able to visit three times a day," he said on Facebook. "Parking set me back $850 on a house budget of a little over $2,000. Made everything just that much harder and (more) worrisome."

But some noted that by comparison, Sudbury's rates are not that bad.

"We are from Sudbury and currently getting treatment full-time here at Sick Kids (in) Toronto for my son, who is battling Ewing's sarcoma (a type of bone cancer)," Angel Anderson said. "We have to pay $200 a month for our vehicle. If we don't buy a monthly pass it's $20 a day. So I'll gladly take Sudbury's fee."

A few people suggested charging for parking at the slots in Chelmsford and keeping the hospital lots free.

Health Sciences North unveiled last week a new parking scheme. Previously, it cost patrons $6 every time the exited one of the lots. Now, there will be pay-as-you-go pricing, depending on how long you spend at the hospital. It will be phased-in, beginning this month and should be fully implemented by the end of the year.

The new system was designed based on feedback received from patients, the hospital said in a media release, and will be effective at both the Ramsey Lake Health Centre and the Sudbury Outpatient Centre (formerly Memorial Hospital).

The new system will allow people to pay $3 for the first hour of parking, $2 for the second hour, and $1 for each additional hour.

People will also be able to purchase a new daily pass for $10 that allows unlimited access for a 20-hour period.

“This new system will be much better for patients who only need to come to hospital for a short time, and family members and friends who are visiting patients several times a day,” Mary Jane Scott, a member of the HSN Patient and Family Advisory Council, who sits on HSN’s Parking Committee, said in the press release. “It means they are only paying for the parking they use and the new daily pass means they don’t have to keep paying a new fee every time they enter and exit the lot.”

The price of parking will remain the same for the lots designated for employees and visitors, which are furthest from the buildings. These lots will continue to cost $6 per exit, but with the option of purchasing the new $10 pass.

“We don’t want the price of parking to be a barrier to coming here. We want a parking system that provides patients and visitors with more choice and flexibility,” Joe Pilon, HSN’s senior VP and chief operating officer, said.

Sixteen callers to the phone line mirrored their online counterparts, with all but two vouching for free parking.

"The Canada Health Act says there should be no impediment to a person seeking medical care," one gentleman said. "Making them pay for parking is an impediment and a violation of the Health Act. I also note people are putting boots on cars. What the hell is going on? Will nobody enforce the laws."

One gentleman who called said hospital administrators would make great politicians.

"The new fees are the same as the old fees, they just rearranged the number so it appears to benefit us," he said.

Another gentleman who called said those seeking medical attention should get special treatment, including a guaranteed parking space.

"My preference is no charge, but as a stand-by, at the very least people who go in there for special procedures shouldn't be paying and should be guaranteed a parking spot," he said.

And finally, one lady who called reminded us that older folks are having trouble making ends meet. Parking fees at the hospital do not help, she said.

"Seniors are having a hard time now, and everything is going up and up and up," she said. "There's no end to it."

One lady, however, suggested the hospital should charge $1. That, she said, should make it affordable to everyone. Another said those who end up parking at the far end of the lot, near the health unit, should only be charged $2 or $3.

For more information about HSN’s parking system, visit www.hsnsudbury.ca.