KAMLOOPS — Local and regional dignitaries were given a tour of Royal Inland Hospitals new Clinical Services tower still under construction.
The almost $80 million building scheduled to be complete this Spring marks the first phase of the redevelopment plan at RIH.
Once complete it will provide space for outpatient services, a new lecture theatre and over 300 patient parking stalls.
Construction of the Clinical Services building along Columbia Street began last Spring and with about six months before welcoming it’s first patients, the project is well on it’s way to competition.
Health Minister and Kamloops North Thompson MLA Terry Lake says, “it’s coming along finally after years of planning and work. We can finally see the finished product coming together.”
The 79.8 million dollar project, jointly funded by the Province of B.C. and the Thompson Regional Hospital District will see the construction of 350 patient parking stalls.
Lake says, “the parking will be for patients families and visitors. At the back, it will be reserved for staff. That will separate the two flows.”
The new tower will include space for outpatient services such as diagnostic cardiology lab space, room for cardiac tests, IV therapy, simulation labs and education space for UBC students as well a 125 seat amphitheater.
RIH Health Services Administrator Carol Laberge says, “that will be used for teachings and will be available for the community to use in the evenings. It will be a state of the art amphitheater.”
Construction of the Clinical Services Tower is scheduled for completion at the end of May and to be fully operation by Labour Day.
Mayor Peter Milobar says, “this is the first stage of two. What we’re hoping for is that the patient care tower will be built after this. This really needed to be done first. This is really is the first stepping stone of a major re investment of health facilities in Kamloops.”
RIH serves patients in the Kamloops area, Merritt to Lillooet and Williams Lake to Salmon Arm.
