Renovation and expansion at Victoria Hospital was one of the capital projects listed in this year's provincial budget. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Hospital Expansion And Renovation

With funding in budget, construction to start soon on hospital expansion

Mar 30, 2023 | 9:00 AM

In their recently released budget, the government of Saskatchewan carved out $337.6 million in healthcare spending. Prince Albert will see the benefits of some of that funding.

Included in the budget is a commitment to funding renovation and expansion at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. It is listed under their major capital projects.

“This is a continuation of the province’s promise for renovation and expansion of the Victoria Hospital,” said Cody Barnett, executive director of the Victoria Hospital Foundation. “So, that is great to see that continuing forward. It’s really impactful to the community that we are getting expanded healthcare services here.”

The expansion and renovation will see, according to Barnett, a 40 per cent increase in the number of patient beds in the hospital, as well as a second tower being built as part of the expansion.

“The adult mental health [unit] is receiving one of if not the largest expansion out of all the units in the facility,” Barnett said.

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For youth mental health, there will be some prioritization of hiring when it comes to child psychiatry.

“I know the community is really concerned with the fact we don’t have a child psychiatrist right now,” said Barnett. “But I know the SHA and the Ministry of Health are looking at ways to fill that vacancy and attract staff and professionals to get that unit back up to capacity.”

Many of the other healthcare projects named in the budget, including expansion to Rosthern’s hospital, are still in the planning phase and so are years away from being realized. The timeline on the work in Prince Albert is a little more immediate.

“Construction is aimed to begin later in 2023 with the goal of the work being completed in 2027,” Barnett said.

Nonetheless, the commitment from the province to push forward with the project and expand some badly needed services is great news as far as the Hospital Foundation is concerned.

“It’s exciting,” Barnett said. “There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes and soon there will be work that everyone else can see as actual construction work starts. It’s really exciting and something the community has been fighting for for well over a decade. It’s time.”

Barnett added the community portion of the hospital expansion includes fundraising campaigns and he expects to have the largest fundraising campaign in Prince Albert’s history. He also said the hospital will be getting an MRI as part of the expansion.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP