Emergency room expansion underway on Manitoulin Island
The pandemic has caused major delays for construction projects, and the emergency room expansion at Manitoulin Health Centre in Mindemoya is no exception.
The project was originally to start this past spring and be complete by December 2021. But now construction is expected to wrap up next summer.
The delay has also led to changes in design. Instead of one negative pressure room, there will now be three. These are rooms that are safe to care for COVID patients/respiratory illness because the air does not circulate throughout the facility.
“Improved airflow to help for a consideration of future respiratory outbreaks -- and that even includes people with serious pneumonias or during flu season -- anything where we’ve got a little more space and better airflow, obviously, is good for our patients,” said Dr. Maurianne Reade, who is a physician at Manitoulin Health Centre's Mindemoya site.
The 2,700 square-foot-extension will also feature a better line of sight to patient areas from the nursing station, a larger chemotherapy suite, greater confidentiality during visits and a dedicated mental health observation area.
“We will be having a safe room for mental health patients for that extra level of protection for people," Reade said.
"The pandemic has certainly accelerated or highlighted the need as we see that second wave of a pandemic of mental health issues.”
Officials with the hospital said Manitoulin Health Centre has one of the highest rates in the north of people arriving at the ER with mental health challenges.
In all, $1.75 million has already been raised, but more money is needed in order to complete the project.
'Let’s Emerg Together' is the name of the campaign launched Monday; progress will be displayed through a thermometer created by local Ojibwe artist Kathryn Corbiere, owner of One Kwe.
“We’ve had very generous gifts from First Nations, from municipalities and groups and so we are getting there but there is a gap still,” said Angela Becks, fundraising chair.
A total of $2.5 million needs to be raised with the hospital to cover the costs for the rest of the project.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.