{"id":822327,"date":"2026-07-24T04:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T04:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/822327\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T04:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T04:30:13","slug":"nnns-last-10-nanaimo-hospital-on-the-road-to-recovery-nanaimonewsnow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/822327\/","title":{"rendered":"NNN\u2019s last 10: Nanaimo hospital on the road to recovery | NanaimoNewsNOW"},"content":{"rendered":"

The much-needed NRGH upgrades were not only for Nanaimo residents: those living in other areas of central and northern Vancouver Island have also organized their voices with the help of the Fair Care Alliance.<\/a><\/p>\n

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During a Sept. 2024 rally in Nanaimo<\/a>, Alliance chair Donna Hais said areas north of the Malahat get roughly one-fifth of Island healthcare funding, despite being home to more than half the Island\u2019s population.<\/p>\n

A new patient tower and catheterization<\/a> lab at NRGH were election promises made by David Eby in the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election, with local MLAs maintaining those pledges a year later. <\/a><\/p>\n

In Dec. 2025, members of the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District voted in favour of a plan to provide<\/a> up to $50M to build a cardiac care service at NRGH, after Island Health\u2019s 10-year capital project budget pushed the cath lab back to 2030.<\/a><\/p>\n

Recent improvements to NRGH have focused on additions to the current facility, including a new high acuity unit<\/a> opened last year, coupled with a new intensive care unit opened in 2023<\/a>, noted as being a critical need for NRGH since 2020.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jesse\u2019s House,<\/a> a place for families to stay while their loved ones receive critical care, is currently under construction in the northeast corner of NRGH property.<\/p>\n

The 16-bed, $10 million housing complex is expected to open by 2027, with millions of dollars in donations already in the bank.<\/a><\/p>\n

Construction is also underway for the Nanaimo Cancer Centre, slated to open in 2028, <\/a>on the NRGH property.<\/p>\n

In February, Island Health said \u201cconcept plans\u201d<\/a> are being started to expand NRGH, including acute and cardiac services.<\/p>\n

Expanded parking on the NRGH property has also been done, including an ongoing parkade project under construction at the Boundary Ave.\/Dufferin Cres. intersection.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Nanaimo District Hospital Foundation continues fundraising for new equipment, recently shifting its focus to recruiting and retaining health care workers.<\/a><\/p>\n

Other mid-Island communities spend years advocating for health facilities of their own, which in turn ease the burden on NRGH.<\/p>\n

In Lantzville, a six-storey, 306-bed long-term care centre<\/a> cleared several red-tape barriers in early 2026, with an estimated completion date<\/a> of late 2028 or early 2029.<\/p>\n

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