Health Minister Terry Lake was joined today by Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone and officials with Interior Health, the Thompson Regional Hospital District and the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation to announce that the new $417-million patient care tower project at Royal Inland Hospital is moving forward. 

The business plan for the new patient care tower now has been approved by government.

“We have always been committed to Royal Inland Hospital's redevelopment and today's announcement is the result of many years of hard work from all of our partners,” said Lake. “We look forward to shovels in the ground in 2018.”

A business plan includes analysis of health-services needs and delivery options, the project’s scope, procurement plan and a funding analysis. The next step in the process is the preparation of a Request for Qualifications seeking qualified companies to bid on, then design, build, finance and maintain the new tower. The entire procurement process will take approximately 18 months to complete. The new patient care tower is expected to open in 2022.

The nine-storey tower is expected to be home to three floors of inpatient beds including mental health and medical/surgical beds; a new surgical suite; a perinatal centre and private labour and delivery rooms, obstetrics and postpartum beds; and a neonatal intensive care unit. The tower will significantly increase the number of single-bed patient rooms at Royal Inland Hospital. The tower project is also expected to include underground and surface parking and a permanent heliport on top of the building.

Phase two of the project will include renovations to the existing facility, including a significant expansion to the existing emergency department, doubling the current space. Renovations in this phase will be made to the pediatric unit, post-anaesthetic recovery department and the morgue.

“I know the excitement has been building in the community for this project,” said Stone. “I look forward to being on hand for the groundbreaking of the patient care tower and many steps along the way until the doors open to patients.”

Total estimated cost of the project is $417 million, including:

• $225 million from the Province and Interior Health;
• $172 million from the Thompson Regional Hospital District; and
• $20 million from the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation.

“The new patient care tower will support the delivery of high-quality care to the many patients from across Interior Health who require the services of our health-care professionals,” said Interior Health Board chair John O’Fee. “In addition, the physical environment will enhance a safe and healthy workplace for our greatest resource, our health-care professionals.”

Royal Inland Hospital is a resource not just for Kamloops but for the entire Thompson-Nicola region,” said Kamloops Mayor Peter Milobar, Thompson Regional Hospital District chair. “On behalf of the taxpayers of the Regional Hospital District we are proud to partner with the other funding partners in this important enhancement to health-care service in our region.”

“For more than 30 years the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation has been committed to raising funds for improvements to Royal Inland Hospital and the larger surrounding area,” noted Royal Inland Hospital Board chair Eric Davis. “The foundation has set an ambitious goal of raising $20 million from our community in support of this critical health-care expansion and we are confident the community will respond with their generosity.”

The B.C. government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects throughout the province. In doing so, these construction projects are creating well-paying, family-supporting jobs. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government. It’s estimated the patient care tower project will create 2,432 jobs – 1,530 direct jobs and 902 indirect jobs over the course of the project.