The announcement from Island Health comes nearly a week after the provincial government made its first in-writing commitment to substantial upgrades at NRGH.
Their budget, delivered Tuesday, Feb. 17, included language stating they were “advancing the development of new acute care projects, including the launch of initial planning for expansion at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.”
While no dollar figure was tied to the work, the budget did account for $2.8 billion in new funding for healthcare over the next three years, a substantial amount of which is earmarked for “new and expanded hospitals and health care facilities throughout the province.”
A new patient tower and catheterization lab at NRGH were election promises made by David Eby in the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election.
They came amid increasing community pressure from local government and advocacy groups for equal healthcare opportunities for residents north and south of the Malahat.
Residents in the Greater Victoria area have access to nearly triple the number of hospital beds, 10 times the number of cardiologists, five times more gastrointestinal specialists, and four times the number of adult psychiatrists were highlighted in Victoria, compared to NRGH.
Recent improvements to NRGH have been focused on additions to the current facility, including a new high acuity unit opened last year, coupled with a new intensive care unit opened in 2023.
Construction is also underway for the Nanaimo Cancer Centre, slated to open in 2028.
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