View From the Legislature

For many years, health officials in Steinbach have advocated for new operating rooms at the Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach. The current operating rooms are decades old and in need of replacing. In fact, prior to a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system being installed in 2018, the operating rooms were at times not in use during the summer because of high humidity.

This past Friday, I was honoured to deliver the long-awaited news that new operating rooms are coming to Bethesda. Our government has approved a $30 million expenditure to build three new operating rooms to not only modernize the facility, but also to increase the surgical capacity in the region and for the province. This new investment will include, in addition to the three operating rooms, consult rooms and pre/post operative care spaces, new equipment for sterilization of equipment, expanded lab space and expanded space to support physician and resident services including on-call sleep rooms.

Residents who have visited or driven by the facility know that there is already significant work happening at the hospital. This includes the new dialysis unit that is well under construction and should be completed in summer or early fall. This will support those who need dialysis treatment and which has required patients to drive to Winnipeg or elsewhere in the province to receive treatment. In addition, in the fall of 2021 I announced additional acute care beds would be built at Bethesda as well as upgrades to the pharmacy to support the delivery of chemotherapy services.

These are all significant upgrades and new services totaling an investment of approximately $64 million at Bethesda. These are also in addition to other healthcare investments such as the more than $30 million that was invested to build the expanded Rest Haven PCH which has become the model for care homes in the province.

When combined with the new event centre that is well under construction just a block away from Bethesda, there is more than $125 million in construction happening that will be transformational for our city and region.

None of these important projects would be occurring without the vision and support of many people. Past elected officials and community leaders set the foundation for these advancements. As well, many individuals and companies are supporting these projects through private donations. For the healthcare projects, the Bethesda Foundation has long been an important advocate and supporter of healthcare in the region backed by incredibly dedicated volunteers and generous donors.

Steinbach and the southeast continue to grow in population at a significant rate. That growth is important and beneficial to the region. Along with that growth comes the need for additional services. The past few years have seen generational projects being announced and built in the region. It is an exciting time to be a resident of our region and province.