The Ontario Government, through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund is investing about half a million dollars in hospital upgrades and repairs in Kenora–Rainy River.
The the Dryden Regional Health Centre will receive $147,767, Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora will receive $316,999, and Riverside Health Care Facilities in Fort Frances will receive $108,379.
MPP for the Kenora-Rainy River district riding, Greg Rickford made the announcement on Monday and calls it a step in the right direction for Northwestern Ontario Health care.
“I’ve been fighting since I’ve been elected to ensure that Northwestern Ontario,who sometimes receives a disproportionate amount of funding, for in our favour in an effort to expand our health services and programs.Our hospitals and health care centers cost more to operate up here. Whether its through colder weather in the winter or what not, we need to have safe comfortable places for our patients to be when they need it the most.”
Rickford notes being able to access health care close to home has always been a priority in Northwestern Ontario, but now more than ever.
“Now as we stare down the potential of second wave (of COVID-19), we want to make sure that (hospitals) are armed with the right infrastructure, facilities are in tip top shape and they can offer an environment that patients feel comfortable in. Most importantly, have a better prospect of staying in their community and not having to travelling far. That’s become more important now, because as we know over the weekend we set up new numbers for private social settings, in an effort to stave off a dramatic increase in COVID (numbers).”
Rickford adds this funding will also help local hospitals catch up on a back log of surgeries, amid the pandemic.
The Dryden Regional Health Center’s funding will be focused on maintaining infrastructure and facilities, while Kenora will focus on expanding their dialysis services and Fort Frances is in need of upgrades to their hot water heating pumps and boilers.
