RIH to get new elective OR with $3.6 million project

NEWS/ HEALTH — A new elective operating room and a new equipment storage area will be built at Royal Inland Hospital, improving access to surgical services.

Interior Health Authority announced today Delnor Construction Ltd. has been awarded the contract for construction management services of a new operating room with a capital cost of about $3.6 million.

RIH currently has eight operating rooms. Seven are for elective surgeries and one is for emergency procedures. Each elective theatre can perform four to five procedures per day, depending on the surgery, or about 20 to 25 per week.

The new OR and storage area will be created by converting existing space dedicated to the operating suites. The project also calls for new equipment and the addition of four beds in post-anesthetic recovery.

RIH plans to add eight post-operative surgical beds, one intensive care bed and associated staffing.

“It’s great to see this renovation getting underway for such an important unit at RIH,” said IHA board chair Norman Embree.

The preliminary planning and design for the OR project has been completed by Stantec. Delnor will now work with Interior Health and Stantec through the detailed design phase and manage the tendering and construction activities through to completion.

Construction is expected to get underway in the fall. Cost will be shared between the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, Thompson Regional Hospital District and the RIH Foundation.