The Saanich Peninsula Hospital celebrated the opening of their new and expanded Day Surgery Unit earlier this month, a project that was five years in the making.
The new section of the hospital opened for use on Monday, April 12th and can be viewed as a virtual tour of the new facility
As a part of the opening ceremonies, local First Nations elders May Sam, Patti Underwood and Barb Henry conducted a blessing for the new facility.
This project, which has been in development for five years, will assist staff to care for patients in an area of the hospital that has grown in importance.
Day surgery, or outreach surgery, does not require an overnight stay.
“As surgical techniques advance and surgeons increase the use of laparoscopic techniques, more and more surgeries can be done as day surgery,” said Jessica Johnson, Director, Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands.
“This modernization will further improve access for patients requiring medical, surgical and endoscopic care, and by consolidating activity in one part of the hospital, we will be able to increase our efficiency.”
The unit includes features such as a waiting room, lockers for an individual’s belongings, change rooms, more storage for medical supplies and expanded space to handle an increased amount of patients and hospital staff.
The Foundation has raised $65 million dollars for equipment, facilities and programs both at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and in the community.
The project itself totalled $3.5 million which was made possible by local donors.
Watch the virtual tour of the new unit:
