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Budget still undisclosed for Richmond Hospital renewal

A new nine-floor acute care tower at Richmond Hospital will be larger than envisioned two years ago, with several hundred million dollars added to the original budget, according to Premier John Horgan.
Hospital
Nelson Kwan, board chair of the Richmond Hospital Foundation, and Natalie Meixner, foundation CEO, were at the announcement on Thursday of more details about the hospital renewal project.

A new nine-floor acute care tower at Richmond Hospital will be larger than envisioned two years ago, with several hundred million dollars added to the original budget, according to Premier John Horgan.

It will include a "right-sized" emergency department - which sees about 60,000 patients a year - a pharmacy and expanded pediatric and mental-health services.

The Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, however, when asked by the Richmond News, wouldn’t give an approximate budget for the new hospital tower – which will eventually replace the old one – saying that will be announced in September.

This was a concern for Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal Johal who said the Richmond community needs to be “vigilant” to hold the government accountable to its hospital commitment, adding without it being in the budget, Thursday’s announcement “was just a press release.”

Johal pointed out government revenue is falling because of the pandemic, but the finance minister, Carole James, when pressed by the media this week, wouldn’t say how much money the province is losing on account of the COVID-19 pandemic but added they’re expecting three years of deficits.

“Government revenue has fallen off a cliff,” Johal said. “So the announcements government makes for infrastructure, for hospitals, for schools, road and bridges, it’s going to be a challenge to finance all of them and especially to stay on the timeline they’re hoping to stay on.”

“I’m happy this (hospital) announcement was made but I think it’s important the community remain vigilant and make sure that government stays true to its commitment and timetable,” he added.

Thursday’s announcement included more details about the new tower being planned with double the room in the emergency department – which will include a larger intensive care unit, medical imaging department and a pharmacy. There will also be a new in-patient psychiatric emergency unit.

"During the business planning stage, it became clear that the fast-growing community of Richmond needs a bigger patient care tower with more services," said Dix in a press release.

Horgan made the announcement about the expanded hospital plan on Thursday morning.

The tower was originally announced two years ago, and the business case and the final budget is expected in September. 

After this, there will be a call for bids - the new tower is expected to be built by 2024 or 2025.

Horgan told the Richmond News the expanded plan will result in fewer disruptions during construction than first anticipated.

The new tower will be named the Yurkovich Family Pavilion – Dr. Tony Yurkovich worked at the hospital for 40 years as did his wife Nancy Yurkovich – after the family made a sizable donation to the Richmond Hospital Foundation.

Nelson Kwan, chair of the foundation board, pointed out the need for a new hospital has been on their radar for more than a decade as Richmond has been growing and its population ages. Furthermore, the hospital serves the airport, Ladner, Delta and south Vancouver, he added.

“The need is going to get more and more dire,” Kwan said.

The Richmond Hospital Foundation has raised 88 per cent of its goal of $50 million for the new tower.

The foundation is donating $40 million to construction. But it has also earmarked $10 million for additional technology and equipment to make sure the hospital has the “latest and greatest… not to have shiny things sitting there but to improve the quality of care,” Kwan said.

Currently the hospital tower has 108 beds – this will eventually be demolished and the new one will have 220 beds in single-occupancy rooms.

The newer section of the hospital will be kept and there will be a connecting corridor between it and the new south tower.