New Endoscopy, Chemotherapy Spaces to be Built at Dauphin Regional Health Centre, Provide Better Care For Manitobans

DAUPHIN—Renovations at Dauphin Regional Health Centre will increase inpatient capacity and allow for more endoscopies and surgeries to be completed at the site as part of Manitoba’s continued commitment to improving health-care services for all Manitobans, Premier Heather Stefanson and Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon announced here today.

“Our government is building a better health-care system with modern facilities and services in communities across the province, reducing the need for patients and their families to travel to large centres like Winnipeg and Brandon for care,” said Stefanson. “These renovations at Dauphin Regional Health Centre follow the opening of a new emergency department, the addition of an MRI and increasing renal capacity at the facility, reflecting our government’s commitment to better health care focused on reduced wait times, improved access and more services closer to home.”

The renovations, estimated to cost $5 million, include the relocation of all endoscopy procedures out of the operating rooms and into space vacated two years ago when the new emergency department became operational, noted the premier. The move will allow up to 300 additional endoscopies to be performed at the site each year while freeing up space in operating rooms, which will in turn create opportunity to increase surgical capacity.

Renovations will also include the relocation of the chemotherapy department and additional inpatient capacity.

“Dauphin is the second largest health centre within Prairie Mountain Health and these renovations will help to enhance the network of programs and services for patients in this part of the region,” said Dr. Trina Mathison, site medical lead, Dauphin Regional Health Centre. “The renovated space will allow for a significant increase in the services we provide, further strengthening our ability to provide specialized care for area residents.”

Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2023. The renovations will add to nearly $30 million in renovations completed at the site in recent years, including the addition of MRI services in 2018, the opening of a new emergency department in 2019 and 12 additional spaces for dialysis patients last year, said Gordon.

“We are investing in our health-care system to better meet the needs of patients in urban and rural communities across our province,” said Gordon. “These investments recognize the significant toll that regular long-distance travel for health services can have on patients and their support network, and is addressing that by increasing access to many services that can be safely offered closer to home. Our government’s unprecedented investment in Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan will result in better patient care for Manitobans for generations to come.”

As first announced in Budget 2021, Manitoba is making a historic $812-million capital investment in building, expanding and renovating health-care facilities across the province in support of Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan. The plan, led by clinicians, establishes a geographic network of care that will improve access to care for all Manitobans and identifies upgrades in Dauphin as being important in efforts to support better care sooner for residents in the region. The plan identifies Dauphin, with the second largest hospital in the Prairie Mountain Health region, as a significant location for delivery of health services for the area’s population, including primary care, diagnostic services and more specialized procedures such as cancer care and surgical and endoscopy procedures.  

For more information on Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan, visit: https://sharedhealthmb.ca/wp-content/uploads/CPSP_Overview_NL.pdf.

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