Hospital borrows up to $5.5 M for clinic

By KELLY DANIELS
citybeat@bellsouth.net [1]

Oktibbeha County supervisors agreed on Monday to allow the OCH Regional Medical Center to borrow funds for a women’s clinic after learning the hospital has already funded construction thus far.
Funding for up to $5.5 million was approved so that the hospital could build a new women’s medical clinic along with its current renovations.
District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer, who opposed issuing the hospital’s $27.5 million renovation bond, said that if the county owns the facility, it should sustain itself.
“People were led to believe the hospital could not take on any more debt,” Trainer said. “We approved (bonds for) up to $5.5 million, but it’s going to be a lot closer to that than zero, because chances are they’re going to find a way to spend it all.”
During Monday’s meeting, Trainer said that Oktibbeha County should benefit financially from owning the hospital. OCH officials could not be reached for comment on the issue.