Community, health-care workers react as Dauphin hospital reopening timeline approaches one year

Residents and health-care workers say the closure of Dauphin Regional Health Centre continues to strain patients and medical services after the Manitoba government announced repairs could take up to a year. The province said Friday that renovations to the flood-damaged hospital are expected to take between nine months and one year, with restoring emergency department [...] The post Community, health-care workers react as Dauphin hospital reopening timeline approaches one year appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg .

Residents and health-care workers say the closure of Dauphin Regional Health Centre continues to strain patients and medical services after the Manitoba government announced repairs could take up to a year. The province said Friday that renovations to the flood-damaged hospital are expected to take between nine months and one year, with restoring emergency department services and diagnostic imaging the top priorities. “We’re starting to get the preliminary estimates of how big an undertaking this is, and we are going to throw a ton of resources and time and energy towards accelerating that as much as possible,” said Wab Kinew, Manitoba’s premier.

Kinew said the province is looking at ways to restore services sooner without compromising patient care. “Let’s see if we can deliver the same quality and safety, but get the service back more quickly,” said Wab Kinew, Manitoba’s premier. For residents who relied on the hospital, the announcement offers a timeline but little immediate relief.

Alex Lytwyn, a Winnipegosis resident, said he depended on Dauphin Regional Health Centre for medical appointments before the flooding forced the closure of parts of the facility. “And with that being gone it puts a lot of stress on the whole area,” said Alex Lytwyn, a Winnipegosis resident. Lytwyn said travelling to Dauphin took about 45 minutes, but he is now considering seeking care at Brandon Regional Health Centre, roughly two and a half hours from his home.

“Which is 2.5 hours away, so that is basically the only option we have,” said Alex Lytwyn, a Winnipegosis resident. Health-care workers say the closure is also increasing pressure on neighbouring hospitals. Christine Pimentel, a travel nurse working in western Manitoba, said facilities in communities such as Russell, Swan River and St. Rose du Lac are treating patients who would normally receive care in Dauphin.

“A lot of populations that are normally going to Dauphin, they are here now,” said Pimentel. Pimentel said the hospital closure has disrupted travel nursing schedules across the region. “Now it’s disrupted, so we have to go almost at the border of Saskatchewan to go to Roblin and Swan River,” said Pimentel.

The province has not provided a specific reopening date but said work will focus first on restoring critical hospital services before completing the remaining renovations. The post Community, health-care workers react as Dauphin hospital reopening timeline approaches one year appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg .