Kitchener hospital receives $7.4 million from province for cardiac care

The provincial government has announced that it is helping fund expanded cardiac care services at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener.

Health Minister Christine Elliott was at the hospital on Thursday to announce funding of up to $7.4 million for new services for the St. Mary’s Heart Rhythm Program which will allow treatment of abnormal heart rhythms.

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“This project will enable the hospital to offer a full continuum of cardiac services and provide patients and families with better access to the quality care they expect and deserve closer to home,” Elliott said in a statement.

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The hospital said in a statement that the funding will be used to create a new electrophysiology lab as well as create additional space for recovery and its cardiac diagnostic clinic.

It says it has been forced to refer 80 patients outside of the region for electrophysiology services this year with some having waited up to 18 months for help.

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“We are thrilled to launch these important new services at St. Mary’s Regional Cardiac Care Centre, one of the top three cardiac centres in Canada,” St. Mary’s Interim President John Woods said. “We are extremely grateful for the commitment by the Ontario government to complete our Heart Rhythm Program suite of services and thank our donors for investing in the equipment our clinicians will need. ”

The hospital is also getting an addition $750,000 to help support roof replacements and for upgrades to generators.