(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard and Sheldon Spackman

planning work underway

Infrastructure Minister says Red Deer hospital expansion still a priority project

Apr 14, 2021 | 9:24 PM

Alberta’s Minister of Infrastructure says it’s still too early to say when shovels will hit the ground on expanding Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC).

Following a Zoom event hosted by the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Prasad Panda told rdnewsNOW that complex projects like the expansion of the hospital go through certain stages before proceeding to design and construction.

“Like a Clinical Services Plan, Functional Programming, Business Case, Needs Assessment, and then go to the Treasury Board for approval, and then we do Design and Construction,” he explained. “Those things are happening but because of COVID, the work got delayed a little bit because we couldn’t engage AHS people who are required to collaborate and partner with Infrastructure in developing those plans.”

He added, however, the government is trying its best to get the much-needed project back on track.

“Alberta Health is focused on limiting the spread of the virus and delivering vaccines,” noted Panda. “But we’re trying to get their attention again to work with us and the front-end work is actually happening already. A lot of planning is happening as we speak.”

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Panda confirmed the project is currently in the Business Case phase.

“All those things are going on simultaneously based on the input from the local community and local stakeholders. (Alberta) Health) is updating their business case, then we’ll take the next steps like Functional Programming and Design and Construction.”

After a promise of $100 million in provincial funding for the hospital’s expansion by Premier Kenney last year, Panda says Alberta Health will decide which specialty units and how many inpatient beds will be needed after it finalizes the project’s service delivery plan.

“More are required in the coming years (inpatient beds), so based on that, they’ll do the Needs Assessment and go through the next steps like Business Case and Functional Programming. Then we’ll have clarity and we’ll have a better estimate of how many millions of dollars is required. This $100 million is only the first initial start-up money.”

Panda maintained, however, that Red Deer hospital expansion is a priority project for the province.

“We will do it properly because unless you plan and execute the project step-by-step in a careful manner, projects of this nature can potentially go sideways,” he cautioned. “We have seen that in Grande Prairie Hospital and I don’t want Red Deer’s hospital to go that way. I want to get it done on time and on budget.

“Right now we are trying to firm up the scope,” he continued. “Once we have clarity on that, we’ll get the budget approved for additional dollars. Then, there won’t be any disruption and we’ll get it done.”

Alberta Infrastructure has a number of active projects underway in the Red Deer area, including five major capital projects receiving a total of $377 million in provincial funding. Those being the expansion of Red Deer Regional Hospital, a long-term residential treatment centre for those struggling with addictions, a new Red Deer Justice Centre, new middle school for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, and the modernization and expansion of Hunting Hills High School.

There is also a further investment of $29.9 million in nine active capital maintenance and renewal projects in the city, as well as $7.6 million in provincial funding for eight other capital maintenance and renewal projects, specifically earmarked for Alberta Health Services facilities.