Janice Perrino is the Mayor of Summerland
and she is the chair of the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District
and she is Executive Director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation

Speaking in Oliver at a Kiwanis lunch – Perrino says the need for improvements to the Penticton Hospital are greater now than in the past with the new corrections facility being built north of Oliver. Janice Perrino says the RDOS will grow by 1500 people once the facility is finished. Penticton Hospital is old and needs modernization and deserves more support from government – no matter which party is in power.

Perrino says a recently exposed fact shows that hospitals in the north Okanagan get way more health care dollars per capita – i.e. Vernon 93$, Kelowna 109$ and Penticton only 22$ per capita.

She told her audience local politicians have been ignored by government – that it was Penticton doctors who brought out the crowds and got the ball rolling recently to get the attention of Victoria.

Perrino says she still is not clear on who is paying the cost of the Business Plan but one way or the other the local people are committed to the project and the RDOS will find the money to finance the 1 year Business Plan needed before the construction phase of an ambulatory health tower at Penticton Regional. 16o million dollars is needed from Victoria to build new facilities.

Oliver Kiwanis presented a cheque in the amount of $1000 to help the foundation with equipment purchases.