MONTREAL - The provincial government is giving the Jewish General Hospital $300 million to expand its planned upgrades and renovation project.
Construction on what will be dubbed the 'K' pavilion began in 2010. Excavation is already completed and the foundation has been poured on a new building that will eventually house a new emergency room centre and much more.
Friday's announcement means the second and third phases of the project have been approved.
When all is finished, the JGH will have an additional 53 stretchers in the ER, plus five more beds in a special 'shock' unit for people in very unstable health.
The number of operating rooms will grow by 18, with 36 rooms for patient recovery and treatment.
In addition to a new coronary care centre, the hospital is also building a ward for high-risk pregnancies, and expanding its isolation rooms in case of pandemic.
The head of the Emergency Department says this is part of a major push to modernize the hospital.
"It's written in the literature all over," said Dr. Marc Afilalo. "We followed the latest guidelines to have isolation rooms, what you call negative pressure rooms."
Finding a place to park at the hospital should also be easier. The project includes four levels of underground parking.
The hospital is planning to have the emergency room completed by next year, and the rest of the six-storey tower finished and ready for patients by the end of 2014.
