The next phase of building a new hospital at the Wallaceburg site of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is included in the recently announced 2022 provincial budget.
In total, just shy of $5.65-million in additional hospital funding for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance was included in the 2022 budget, Provincial officials say.
Minister Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, joined Darrin Canniff, Mayor of Chatham-Kent, Lori Marshall, CEO of CKHA, and members of the CKHA Board and Foundation on Friday morning, April 29, 2022, for the announcement.
“Yesterday, Minister Bethlenfalvy and our government unveiled the 2022 budget,” McNaughton said, in a media release.
“We have a plan to build Ontario by investing in key infrastructure projects, more highways, and a historic number of new hospitals, like the one here in Wallaceburg.”
McNaughton added: “Today’s announcement is another major step forward in our commitment to ensure our community has access to the quality healthcare they deserve now and for decades to come.”
Today, I announced that a new Wallaceburg Hospital is in our government’s Budget 2022 – Ontario’s Plan to Build.⁰⁰With a new emergency department, and new diagnostic imaging and laboratory departments, our community will have access to quality healthcare for decades to come. pic.twitter.com/78zvNRuF7y
— Monte McNaughton (@MonteMcNaughton) April 29, 2022
The next phase for the Wallaceburg hospital, includes: funding for a new emergency department and new diagnostic imaging and laboratory departments.
The 2022 budget, which includes more than $40-billion to build and improve 50 hospitals and add 3,000 new beds over the next 10 years, is another critical milestone for the Wallaceburg hospital, Provincial officials say.
When completed, the hospital will have expanded capacity to offer several critical services such as 24-hour emergency care, inpatient beds, specialty clinics, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging including radiology and ultrasound, physiotherapy, and laboratory services including point of care testing.
“We are grateful for this government’s support towards the redevelopment of our Wallaceburg site,” Marshall said, in a media release.
“We know this site is important to many in the surrounding community and has played a significant role in the provision of local health services. Each step in this multi-phase process brings us closer to ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality care for patients and families at this site for years to come.”
Provincial officials say to support the high-quality care provided by Ontario’s hospitals, the government is providing an additional $827-million to hospitals across the province, representing a four per cent increase from last year.
This will ensure all publicly funded hospitals receive a minimum two per cent increase to their budgets to help them better meet patient needs, while building a stronger, more resilient health care system, Provincial officials added.
