The Ontario government has given a thumbs-up to a major renovation at Kincardine Hospital.
The official announcement was made Friday afternoon at the hospital which will see the facility connected to the nearby Family Health Team clinic.
In addition, the emergency department will be redeveloped along with expansion of ambulatory care services, education and diagnostic imaging.
Also the two-phased program, which is due to begin in 2015 will create a new plant and building services department.
Huron Bruce MPP says they’re not putting a price tag on the province’s share until after tenders come in but the province will support 90 per cent of the cost while the community will pick up 10 per cent.
There’s a caveat with all this.
Mitchell says the plan will only go ahead if her government is returned to office.
She says the Progressive Conservatives don’t have any money in health care for infrastructure projects.
The Board Chair of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre Don Bushell says the re-development is a win-win for everyone at the hospital and in the community.
Kincardine Mayor Larry Kraemer agrees, saying he believes the impact of such a project will go beyond the region.
The Site Chief at Kincardine Hospital Doctor Lisa Roth says it’s a delicate balance between doctors, nurses, volunteers and of course patients in a small town facility but she’s glad to see the project moving forward.
President and CEO of SBGHC Paul Davies says although the first shovel doesn’t go in the ground until 2015, he considers it a short period of time to get the planning done for that moment.
Although no dollar figure on the project was mentioned during the ceremony, in the past phase one of the project was pegged at 43-million-dollars with both phases coming in at 104 million dollars.
