Manitoba is opening a new hospital in Neepawa to provide care closer to home, Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced Monday.
The hospital will offer Neepawa residents and surrounding communities improved access to a wider variety of specialty services.
It will be built on nearly 40 acres of farmland on Neepawa’s east side.
“Our government is building a stronger health-care system for all Manitobans including residents in Neepawa and surrounding communities in the Westman region,” Gordon said.
“When complete, this investment in a new hospital will serve as a foundation for a health-care system that allows residents in this region to more easily access specialized health-care services closer to home without the need to travel to larger centres like Brandon or Winnipeg for care.”
The new facility will be located on recently rezoned land east of Lions Riverbend Campground near Provincial Trunk Highway 16. The Neepawa facility is expected to serve patients from the broader geographic area.
Construction crews are scheduled to mobilize at the site in the first week of November, the minister noted.
Substantive work on the new facility is expected to begin in the new year with the project targeted for completion in 2025.
The new facility will be nearly four times the size of the existing Neepawa Health Centre.
“Prairie Mountain Health is extremely pleased to be moving forward to replace the existing Neepawa hospital as we work with our health partners and stakeholders to meet the anticipated needs of our growing population within this part of the health region,” said Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health.
Additionally, renal services will be established in the community for the first time at the new site, following a review of the number and frequency of patients travelling for dialysis treatment.
“Kidney dialysis patients who live in or near Neepawa are used to making multiple trips per week to other communities to receive care,” said Dr. Mauro Verrelli, provincial medical specialty lead for renal health, Shared Health.
The project represents funding of at least $127 million: Manitoba has committed at least $812 million in building, expanding and renovating health-care facilities across the province in support of Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan.