Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter

Sask. children’s hospital remains a priority despite prov. deficit

Nov 26, 2016 | 11:00 AM

As concerns rise over Saskatchewan’s health care budget, the construction of a new childen’s hospital continues. 

The facility is 33 per cent complete and is still slated to open in late 2019. 

Health Minister Jim Reiter joined several health executives to tour the progress of construction on Friday morning.

“Parents will now be coming right here in our province,” Reiter said, in response to a lot of families having to travel to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, Alta.

Saskatchewan has a $1 billion deficit, forcing $64 million to be slashed from the health budget. Reiter said the cuts won’t affected construction of the hospital.

“We’re pretty excited to offer a service like this one,” he said. “This will also help free up space at Royal University Hospital and St. Paul’s to address the overcrowding problem. Children will move from those centres to this one, so the math will work out to alleviate pressures.”

The hospital will feature a neonatal intensive care unit, maternal care unit, and pediatric inpatient unit.

“I’m really excited about the maternal floor because it will mean less moving around for families who are having a child,” said Saskatoon Health Region vice-president Jackie Mann.

“It will do wonders to make our families feel more comfortable in the province,” she said.

The hospital has enough concrete to fill 8.5 Olympic size swimming pools.

 

jmarshall@rawlco.com
On Twitter: @JTMarshallCKOM