KAMLOOPS - Construction of the new and expanded medical device reprocessing (MDR) unit at Royal Inland Hospital will get underway in spring 2011 with completion in early 2012.
“The new medical device reprocessing project at Royal Inland will ensure uninterrupted quality care for the thousands of Kamloops-area patients served every year by the hospital,” said Health Services Minister Colin Hansen. “Across British Columbia, in communities like Kamloops, we are investing a record amount of money in new and improved health facilities to ensure care for years to come.”
Previously known as the central sterilization department, funding for the MDR project was finalized after Interior Health commissioned detailed planning in 2010 to determine the final scope and cost of the redesign, renovation and expansion.
“The new medical device reprocessing unit is part of our health-care investments in the region to better care for Kamloops-area patients now and in the future,” said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake.
The Province will fund 60 per cent of the $10.75-million total project cost, with the Thompson Regional Hospital District funding the remaining 40 per cent.
“Partnering on such an important project as the new and expanded medical device reprocessing unit at Royal Inland Hospital is a way to not only address immediate concerns but build better patient care for the future,” said Harry Danyluk, Thompson Regional Hospital District chair.
The scope of the project will include four main components:
* Installation of a new, dedicated elevator between the operating rooms and the MDR unit.
* Redesign and expansion of the MDR unit, including purchase and installation of new sterilization equipment.
* Renovations to the clean supply holding room and soiled workroom.
* Implementation of a new case cart system, which is used to transport surgical instruments to and from the operating room.
“The redesign and expansion of the medical device reprocessing unit at the hospital has been a number-one capital priority for Interior Health,” said Interior Health chair Norman Embree. “We’ve worked hard through the appropriate steps to bring this project to fruition.”
The total renovated space for the project is approximately 1,000 square metres (11,000 square feet) and will be completed in phases to allow surgical procedures to continue uninterrupted at the hospital.
In June 2010, the Ministry of Health Services provided immediate funding of $750,000 so that Interior Health could address equipment issues by buying new sterilization equipment as well as undertaking detailed planning.
British Columbia is making record investments in health-care facilities in the Interior of B.C. and throughout the province. Over the next three years, British Columbia’s health-care system will benefit from investments, such as new medical equipment and modernized health facilities, as part of a $2.4-billion, health-sector capital plan.