South Okanagan General Hospital (File photo)
Interior Health (IH) has announced that Mierau Contractors Ltd. has been selected as the general contractor overseeing upgrades to the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver.
Mierau Contractors was selected after a competitive tender process was completed. A detailed design of the upgrades to the hospital was done by Stantec Consulting after extensive consultations with site staff and physicians. Construction on the project will begin in May.
The $970,000 project is being bolstered by a further $280,000 funding commitment from the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation (SOSMF). The Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District is funding 40 per cent of the original budget while the province of B.C. is contributing 60 per cent.
• Read more: Interior Health says conditions at SOGH improving
Construction upgrades will include developing a new waiting and triage area, a quiet room for families, a separate emergency department entrance and the relocation of admitting and administration services.
Once complete, patients requiring emergency treatment will access the emergency room from a separate entrance, ensuring privacy. The project will also include new exterior signage to improve wayfinding to the emergency department. A new nursing station will also be constructed to enhance working conditions for staff, and a private touch-down area for physicians to consult with specialists is also part of the project.
The emergency department will remain open during the renovations, which are expected to be complete by winter 2019/20.
