The Quebec government has announced additional funding for Montreal’s Shriners Children’s hospital.
The government will be injecting an additional $13.7 million per year over the next five years, bringing the total annual public investment to $23.9 million.
The hospital says it was a much-needed boost, as they’ve had a dramatic increase in patients in the past few years.
Since they moved to the new Glen site, they’ve had a rise in referrals and demand for their specialized pediatric orthopedic services.
The Shriners says it performed more than 1,000 surgeries last year.
The new money will allow them to perform even more surgeries and to continue providing the specialized care the hospital is known for, not only for children in Quebec but children who come to the hospital from across the world.
“This agreement allows us also to speak with the government if ever the volume keeps increasing again, so it provides us to respond to the needs of kids,”Jacques Boissonneault, the hospital’s CEO.
The investment will also help the institution’s state of the art simulation lab.
The lab allows surgeons and researchers from around the world to be trained and discover new techniques and treatments to improve the lives of children, like 14-year-old Florence Simard-Cantin.
Simard-Cantin was treated at the Shriners for scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.
The teen says while news of the surgery brought her intense anxiety, the hospital provided psychological care and even advanced the date of her surgery to reduce her fears.
“I was so thankful,” Simard-Cantin told Global News. “What I will remember the most about my experience is the people who work here. They are so nice and they make you comfortable. I’m also so thankful because my surgeon was really, really good.”
After her successful surgery, Simard-Cantin is able to enjoy sports once again.