The clock is ticking down at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
After being over capacity on a near daily basis over the past several years, the old building’s load is about to be lightened: the new ambulatory care tower in Vernon is ready to welcome its first patients.
Equipment from the hospital’s maternity ward was packed up on Friday and shipped into the brand new Polson Tower.
Get breaking National news
But getting all the equipment to the new building is the easy part of the move.
Starting at 5 a.m. Sunday, hospital staff will be moving more than 60 patients into the new tower.
Yolanda Short, Polson Tower operation planner, says the relocation covers women and children services, female surgery, labour and delivery, pediatrics, ICU and the cardiac care unit.
An extra 150 staffers are assisting with moving patients and beds to the new tower on Sunday.
Every patient will have a nurse with him or her during the relocation, which officials hope to complete in less than three hours.
After 7 a.m. Sunday, the new emergency room in the Polson Tower is scheduled to be open for business.
And as for funding to fill out the top two floors of the new tower with beds, MLA Eric Foster says talks are ongoing but no announcement is imminent.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.