MPP Rickford Announces Ontario Building Better, More Modern Health Care Facilities in Dryden

September 13, 2023

DRYDEN — The Ontario government is improving hospital and community care by investing $834,956 in the Dryden Regional Health Centre (DRHC)to support critical upgrades and repairs. This funding is part of the government’s investment of over $208 million provided through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund and the Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund to 131 hospitals and 58 community health facilities across the province.

“Our government continues to provide health care partners in the Northwest with the support they need to address infrastructure upgrades and renewal projects,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora – Rainy River. “Ontarians deserve access to top quality health care no matter where they live, and the hardworking families in Northern Ontario are no exception.”

DRHC will be using this funding for the final stage of a medical vacuum replacement and the replacement of a chiller unit. These critical infrastructure upgrades are vital to the operation of DRHC’s inpatient, critical care, emergency, and surgical services.

“Ensuring Ontario’s hospitals and community health facilities have the infrastructure in place to deliver the high-quality care patients expect and deserve is a priority for our government,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This year’s increased funding will help these facilities address priority renewal needs while ensuring people can continue to receive the world-class care they need in a safe and comfortable environment.”

With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province is moving quickly to expand and modernize Ontario’s hospitals to ensure patients and their families are able to connect to the quality care they need, when they need it, closer to home.

QUICK FACTS

  • This year, Ontario has increased the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund by over 14 per cent and the Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund by over 10 per cent.
  • Community health facilities are publicly funded and provide a range of programs to patients across the province, including primary care, community mental health and addictions services, allied health care such as physical therapy and respiratory therapy, and programs and services delivered by a public health unit.
  • Ontario’s investments over the next 10 years will lead to nearly $50 billion in health infrastructure across the province.
  • As of the end of 2022, Ontario approved 50 hospital development projects that will build more than 3,000 new hospital beds in communities across the province over the next 10 years.
  • As of the end of 2022, Ontario has approved 50 hospital development projects that will create more than 3,000 new hospital beds in communities across the province by 2032.

QUOTES

“DRHC is grateful for Minister Rickford’s ongoing support of healthcare in the Northwest. The Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) will help us to ensure that our hospital is equipped with modern infrastructure to provide our patients with the high quality of care they deserve. With this funding we can replace aging equipment to make certain our facility is a place where our communities are able to receive the healthcare services they need, close to home in a safe and comfortable environment,”

  • Doreen Armstrong – Ross, CEO of the Dryden Regional Health Centre.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES