Ontario invests $9-bil in hospital infrastructure

May 16, 2017
reminetwork.com

As part of the 2017 budget, Ontario plans to invest an additional $9 billion to support the construction of new hospital projects across the province, bringing its total planned investment in hospital infrastructure to more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.

These new investments will allow hospitals to renovate existing facilities and construct new ones, addressing a growing demand for health care services and a need for innovative models of care. Essential facility improvements and expansions would include emergency rooms, surgical facilities and patient spaces in big cities and remote communities across the province.

Some of the approved major hospital projects include:

• Trillium Health Partners - Broader Redevelopment Project
• Niagara Health System - New South Niagara Capital Project
• Windsor Regional Health Centre - New Greenfield Hospital Project
• Hamilton Health Sciences - Hamilton Redevelopment Project
• Weeneebayko Area Health Authority - Replacement Hospital Project

“With this commitment to hospital infrastructure, we are addressing future health care needs in communities across the province,” said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, in a press release. “This will allow us to plan for sustainable development in the hospital sector so they can continue to deliver high-quality care for generations to come. It will also foster investments in new and innovative models of care, ensuring patients receive the best care based on the best evidence and advances in technology.”

Hospital funding in the province has increased by more than 58 per cent, rising from $11.3 billion in 2003-04 to $18 billion in 2017-18. At the 141 hospitals in Ontario, there are about 34 major hospital projects either under construction or in the planning stages.