INNISFAIL – The problematic undersized ambulance bay door at Innisfail Health Centre is now a provincial priority that is finally being addressed.
Following repeated calls and attempts since 2022 to have the government of Alberta fix the ambulance bay door, the province is committing at least $2 million to expand the undersized essential healthcare infrastructure.
As well, the province is investing another $7.7 million to expand surgical volumes at the hospital, with a second operating room and a major upgrade to the centre's medical device reprocessing program.
“We actually process all of our own instruments, so when you have surgery here we have a department downstairs where we clean all the instruments,” said Suzanne Telford, site manager at the Innisfail hospital. “We have to expand the size of the equipment and the room to be able to meet the needs of a second operating room.”
She noted the Innisfail hospital’s existing operating room is open for cataract surgeries three days a week, with about 2,600 performed annually.
Telford said a second operating room will enable the hospital to double that amount.
“It's amazing,” she added. “We are so thankful the government is willing to invest in our facility. It's really great for our community.”
Telford was speaking to the media following a press conference at the hospital on June 21 that had Alberta Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange and Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen attending to announce both capital projects.
With the Government of Alberta now committing a $4.5 billion investment over three years to support capital projects, including $512.3 million for its capital maintenance and renewal funding program to preserve and enhance existing health care infrastructure, the Innisfail hospital’s longstanding problematic ambulance bay door finally became a priority item.
“The expansion of the ambulance bay has been approved under the capital maintenance and renewal program,” said LaGrange at the press conference. “Preliminary costing for the project is approximately $2 million and additional planning will help us scope out the work and determine what the final cost will be.
“This project will ensure that the health centre can accommodate larger ambulances while enhancing privacy and increasing protection from seasonal variations in weather during patient transfers,” added the minister.
LaGrange added planning is underway for both new projects, but could not immediately offer timelines, as that is in the hands of Pete Guthrie, provincial minister of infrastructure.
“Once the planning stage is done, then they'll get to it as quickly as possible, is my understanding,” said LaGrange.
The issues around the hospital’s ambulance bay became publicly known in late 2022 when volunteers for the Innisfail Health Centre Auxiliary approached Innisfail town council for a donation to help cover a then estimated $45,000 cost to fix the ambulance door that could not accommodate large ambulances.
However, when the issue was put back on the provincial government’s plate, namely Alberta Health Services (AHS), local appeals, as well as from Dreeshen, were not successful.
“AHS officials would tell me that, ‘well, if we had to fix Innisfail’s ambulance bay door we'd have to fix a whole bunch of other rural hospital ambulance bay doors.’ It just didn't make sense to me,” said Dreeshen.
“If I had to make a bad (Edmonton) Oilers reference I think she (LaGrange) would have to be the Connor McDavid of healthcare ministers to actually understand what common sense is of actually having a healthcare system that provides great quality of care to Albertans, no matter where they live.”
Innisfail mayor Jean Barclay praised both Dreeshen and hospital auxiliary volunteers for their tireless dedication in getting the new ambulance bay project off the ground.
“He (Dreeshen) never gave up on this project. He always reminded me he was continuing to work on this at times when the public would soundly criticize him, and yes, even the Town of Innisfail for not getting this renovation completed. He did not waiver,” said Barclay, adding the hospital volunteers began their fundraising for the new ambulance door as they were celebrating their 50th anniversary.
“They hosted tea and strawberry shortcake events and reached out to the local community for assistance to renovate the ambulance bay so an ambulance no longer had to load and unload patients outdoors.”
