By Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard

Posted 2 hours ago

A patient at Kingston General Hospital is upset that free parking spaces reserved for those undergoing dialysis and cancer treatment have been converted to pay and display

Elle Zelicz, 24, has to go to KGH three times a week for dialysis.

A motor vehicle collision three years ago damaged her liver and left Zelicz paralysed.

Since then, Zelicz has relied on her family to drive her to dialysis appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays of each week.

“It almost makes me worry about my future,” she said.

“I'm already paying so much for my medical expenses.”

Until now, Zelicz has been able to park in a 26-space parking lot off George Street.

In addition to her medical costs, Zelicz relies on her family to drive her to appointments from the family's home in Toledo, about an hour's drive north-east of Kingston.

Zelicz said the drives costs about $100. The parking fee would add another $60 to her monthly costs.

“I get the feeling it's not in the best interests of the patients,” she said.

“Not all patients need to be at the hospital three times a week for the rest of their lives.

“I guess I'm going to have to go over my budget. I don't have a choice.

“It's life or death.”

KGH spokesperson Helen Simeon said the hospital recently changed its parking policy to make all spots pay and display.

Simeon said the George Street parking lot will continue to be reserved for dialysis and cancer patients. Those patients will need to register for a permit that gives them preference to that parking lot, she said.

“Parking is a major problem for our patients, visitors and staff,” she said.

Simeon said the change was made after the hospital looked at policies at other major medical facilities.

Simeon said the hospital has about 200 parking spaces available for the 4,000 people on average who come to the facility each day.

Parking in the George Street lot is $1 per hour up to a daily maximum of $5.

Government money is available to help hospitals maintain buildings, but parking lots are not included in that funding, Simeon said.

Simeon said revenue from parking around the hospital is used to maintain parking facilities and any money left over is put toward patient services.

Simeon said she did not know how much money was raised from parking around the hospital.

For patients who need help paying for parking or transportation costs, Simeon said there is assistance available.

Late last year, an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal called for patient parking fees to be abolished.

Dr. Rajendra Kale, the journal’s interim editor-in-chief, wrote that “parking-centred health care” was interfering with patient care and violating the objectives of the Canada Health Act.

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