Area hospitals get cash injection from province

The Ontario government will provide $2,087,717 to 38 health facilities in Northwestern Ontario through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Northern Development and Mines Minister and NOHFC Chair Dan Newman announced.

“The Ontario government recognizes the importance of having well-equipped facilities to provide high quality primary health care to residents of small and remote northern communities,” said Newman. “We are committed to delivering a health system that promotes wellness and improves health through accessible, integrated, high quality services at every stage of life and as close to home as possible.”

As part of this announcement the following allocations have been made:

* $200,000 to the La verendrye Health Centre in Fort Frances to purchase medical equipment such as an anaesthetic machine, a sterilizer and a vital signs monitor as well as to upgrade the telephone system to facilitate tele-medicine and videoconferencing.

$174,450 to the Rainy River Health Centre to purchase medical equipment such as cardiac monitors, a clinical analyzer and a crash cart as well as the addition of an ambulance facility.

$161,700 to the Emo Health Centre to buy medical equipment including electric patient beds, a troponan analyzer, and to build outdoor accessible areas for long-term care patients.

* $23,325 to the Emo Dental Centre for the purchase of equipment such as a sterilizer, a dental chair, an ultrasonic cleaner and an x-ray unit.

$18,000 to the Rainy River Dental Clinic to buy equipment including a sterilizer, and x-ray film processor, and high-speed handpieces (drills etc.)

Funding for these projects is provided under the NOHFC’s Capital Assistance to Enhance Northern Health Care initiative. It funds up to $25,000 per primary care health centre or $200,000 per small hospital for renovations or for the purchase of medical equipment in small northern communities.