Third-party service providers could be tapped to relieve parking space pressure at Regina General Hospital. Saskatchewan Minister of Health Jim Reiter has called for a feasibility study into a new parkade that would be privately built, owned and managed.

“Parking is a support service, not a direct health care service, so we believe it could be more appropriately provided through the private sector,” he says. “We know that parking at Regina General Hospital has been an issue for a long time and we are committed to finding a long-term solution.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is tasked with the exploratory step, which will determine if a request for proposals (RFP) for design and construction of a new parkade is warranted. The “market sounding” and information gathering exercise is to be completed later this spring.

“While we have taken actions like expansion of the Park and Ride and Safe Walk programs, we know more needs to be done,” reports Andrew Will, vice president, infrastructure, information and support, with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “That is why we are analyzing the feasibility of new parkade at Regina General Hospital.”