WEYBURN – Construction of the new Weyburn General Hospital (WGH) is advancing on schedule with the building's superstructure and shell well underway, according to an update provided by the Health ministry and Wright Construction on Friday morning.
This includes exterior walls, roofs and windows, as well as interior floors and mechanical and electrical rough-ins in their early stages. As of late April 2024, construction of the facility is approximately 30 per cent complete.
"Accessible health care is important to the people of this province and the new Weyburn Hospital will help achieve this by providing many health care services that patients need in one place," Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod said. "I extend my sincere thanks to the Weyburn and District Hospital foundation for their support in achieving this goal."
The minister noted that the province is contributing a total of $120 million towards the new hospital, plus the Weyburn Hospital Foundation raised a portion of the funds for the building, and for equipment, furniture and fixtures, with fundraising continuing on this year.
When complete, the new 35-bed health care facility in Weyburn will offer improved and expanded access to health services for residents in the area.
The facility will feature 25 acute care beds and 10 inpatient mental health beds, Emergency Medical Services, ambulatory care, allied health, a heliport to facilitate safer and more efficient patient transport, as well as additional space for social work and the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation office.
All of these services will be available under one roof, making it more convenient for patients to receive the care they need.
"Today's construction update is great news for this community and surrounding areas," Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan said. "When the Weyburn Hospital is complete, residents will find many health care services they need closer to home, in one convenient location."
He added that the replacement of the current Weyburn General Hospital has been uppermost for many people in the room and in the community for a long time. “It’s great to see progress towards these goals,” he said, pointing out that having the heliport will bring the services of the STARS air ambulance closer for those patients in need of immediate emergency care.
"We are pleased with the progress of construction on this facility," SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister Joe Hargrave said. "This is possible because of the collaboration we have enjoyed from all the stakeholders working on this project. We are grateful for all their work and look forward to the timely completion of construction."
"With the structure of the hospital taking shape, the SHA is actively planning for the care our teams will provide patients," Saskatchewan Health Authority Chief Operating Officer Derek Miller said. "The new Weyburn General Hospital represents a significant upgrade to health services provided to residents of Weyburn and the surrounding region, not only in terms of technology, but also to the innovations in patient care that will lead to improved patient outcomes."
He noted as he drove in to Weyburn, he saw many seeding outfits in fields waiting for dryer conditions so seeding can get underway, and compared the pride a farmer feels for getting the crops in the ground to the pride the community will feel as the new hospital takes shape on Fifth Avenue North, compared to a year ago when the sod-turning was just held in an empty field.
"Wright Construction is excited to have reached this important milestone in the project," Chief Operating Officer Chris Doka said. "We are pleased with how the overall design has developed and with the progress on site. The collaboration with the SaskBuilds' team and the community of Weyburn has contributed to the current success of the project, and we look forward to continuing those relationships on our way to the next milestone."
He added the company has enjoyed being back in Weyburn, as they were last involved here with the construction of the Spark Centre and Legacy Park school project.
"It is great to see the progress that has been made on this impressive new facility," Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation Board Chair Jeff Hayward said. "Reality is setting in for the people of Weyburn and surrounding area, as this state of the art modern, health care facility takes shape."
Hayward pointed out that the foundation has raised about $22 million to date towards the new hospital, and there are fundraisers ongoing and planned for this coming year to continue that effort.
The Government of Saskatchewan is investing more than $120 million in the development of the facility. An additional $38.4 million for a portion of the capital costs, as well as furniture, fixtures and equipment will be funded by the community and Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation.
Construction is expected to be completed by December 2025.
