West Kootenay-Boundary taxpayers will fork out another $980,000 toward upgrades at the regional hospital after the first leg of work came in $2.45 million over budget.
The 30-member board, which includes 17 Central Kootenay directors and 13 Kootenay Boundary directors, reconvened on Wednesday and voted unanimously to pay its 40 per cent share in the overage, or $980,000, as it was determined “not feasible” to reduce the project scope closer to the original $16.6 million budget. The contractor of the $19-million project was also revealed during the meeting, which was the first since March
On Thursday, Interior Health announced Ledcor Construction Ltd. was selected as the general contractor overseeing construction and new electrical in the KBRH emergency department.
Renovation plans include a single-storey addition to the existing building that will significantly expand the size of the current department. More square-footage will address immediate space and service challenges, and accommodate projected patient care needs for years to come.
The redevelopment will feature updated and expanded trauma bays, exam rooms and procedure rooms, and will add an airborne isolation and secure room to the emergency department. Significant transformer and electrical upgrades are also included.
Construction is slated to start in the weeks ahead and the new emergency department is expected to open to patients in 2020.
The project’s $19.05 million budget will be shared by the Province of British Columbia through Interior Health, the West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District (WKBRHD), and the KBRH Health Foundation.
From the Trail Daily Times