Vice President of Quinte Health Care Brad Harrington updates the QHC board and members of the public about the process leading to a new Prince Edward Memorial Hospital at a meeting in Picton Tuesday, January 29, 2019. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
A major step toward the building of a new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital in Picton has been taken. Tuesday, at Quinte Health Care Board of Directors meeting in Picton, the board unanimously supported a detailed design and functions report to be sent on to the Southeast Local Health Integration Network and the provincial Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
The report must be approved by the province as part of a five stage process that will lead to actual construction of the hospital.
The 364 page report prepared by a team of eight consulting firms includes a detailed outline of the functions and operations of the new hospital, staffing, major equipment needs and space requirements.
The report also includes service level projections and and works on the premise that the number of in-patient beds will increase from the current 12 to 18.
The new hospital will include all of the services now offered at PECMH but also include a seven-chair dialysis unit operated by the Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
The report includes schematic drawings of the floor plans as well.
Here are some details contained in the report.
The proposed hospital would be 88,069 square feet on two levels. Expansion could occur on the second level if needed.
Equipment costs just to open the hospital are estimated at $5.2 million. The total cost to the build the hospital is estimated at $80.7 million. The share that must come from Prince Edward County (through council and donations) totals $16.5 million.
It’s expected the new hospital will need an extra $1.78 million over its first five years of operation, over and above what the current hospital gets based on increased demand expectations.
Should all go well with the approvals process, it’s hoped construction on the hospital could begin in January of 2022, with the project ready to open by summer of 2025.
The current hospital would be demolished when the new one is ready to go.
In an interview following the board meeting, QHC President Mary Clare Egberts says she’s confident the province intends to back the project through to completion.
