“The moment we've been waiting for, for a long, long time” was Elk Point Municipal Hospital Board Chairman John Mohyluk’s reaction to last Friday’s announcement by the Hon. Ken Kowalski, Minister of Alberta Public Works, Supply and Services, Hon. Nancy Betkowski, Minister of Alberta Health, and MLA John Drobot that approval has been given to the Board to call for construction tenders for the addition of a long term care unit and renovations to the hospital.
The work, valued at approximately $5 million, will allow for the addition of a 30 bed long term care unit to the hospital, as well as renovations to existing treatment and support areas.
“This capital project will provide improved facilities to meet the needs of seniors in the community and help maintain the hospital’s ability to provide the best care possible to all patients,’ said Mr. Kowalski. The Minister’s letter to the Board Chairman expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Board, staff and consultants in developing the project.
MLA Drobot added that “approval of this project is very satisfying to the community because it was their hard work that brought these needed facilities to Elk Point. And now, at last, it’s going to tender.”
Hospital Administrator Clem Johnson is “so, so pleased” with the approval, which has been “a long time coming,” and credits the exciting news in a large part to the ongoing efforts of MLA Drobot. The Hospital Board has been working, with Drobot’s help and encouragement, on the expansion project for many years, and according to Johnson, were first approved to go to programming in mid-1986.
