Prince Albert cancer patient calling on government to remove hospital parking fees

As Wayne Mantyka explains, a Prince Albert cancer patient took his fight for free hospital parking to the legislature.

A Saskatchewan cancer patient has taken his fight for free hospital parking all the way to the legislature.

Dennis Ogordnick believes he should be fighting his cancer and not the government.

“Let’s eliminate all parking,” he told reporters on Monday. “B.C. has eliminated paid parking at hospitals. Quebec has never had it. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick have recently eliminated paid parking at their hospitals as well.”

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Cancer patients were provided free parking when Ogrodnick began treatment in Prince Albert a couple years ago. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) withdrew the free parking part-way through his treatment.

“And all of a sudden it was eliminated and I’m thinking who in their right mind that has any integrity, any empathy would say let’s target cancer patients,” Ogrodnick added.

The provincial government say parking fees go toward lot maintenance costs and front-line health care.

“The revenue that comes in through parking for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, about half of that is the cost of running the parking infrastructure in the province and the other half goes right back into the Saskatchewan Health Authority operating budget which again goes directly onto patient care,” health minister Jeremy Cockrill said on Monday.

The NDP opposition is asking the government to reconsider.

“We didn’t hear any change from the government. Really disappointing to see Saskatchewan cancer patients should not be paying for parking,” NDP MLA Jared Clarke said.

SHA parking fees can vary between facilities. It’s even free in some smaller centres. The health authority has said it is currently considering a standard parking policy.