Ford reaffirms $9.8-million investment towards new hospital in Windsor-Essex

Windsor, Ont. -

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is reaffirming the province’s commitment of $9.8 million for a new mega hospital in Windsor-Essex.

The government pledged $9.8 million toward the new Windsor-Essex mega hospital in its 2021-2022 budget in March.

Ford was in the region on Monday to announce details of the funding.

“It’s a great day for Windsor-Essex,” says Ford.

The funding is to support planning for the new acute care hospital. Ford says once complete, the new hospital will add more hospital beds and expand services for the region to ensure individuals and families living in the region have access to high-quality care when and where they need it.

“The people of Windsor-Essex have waited too long for a new hospital that suits the needs of this growing community,” says Ford. “This new hospital means they can get the care they need, closer to home.”

Once complete, the province says the new hospital will consolidate and expand acute care services, replacing outdated infrastructure with high tech facilities and supporting better, connected care in the region.

Planned services will include cancer care, complex trauma, obstetrics, neurology and cardiology. The new hospital is expected to have more single-patient rooms to increase patient privacy and prevent the spread of infection.

Urgent care and outpatient services will remain at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette site to preserve access for patients and their families in downtown Windsor.

“Investing in hospital infrastructure projects like the new acute care hospital in Windsor is a key part of our government’s plan to build a modern and connected health care system and end hallway health care,” said Christine Elliott, Minister of Health. “This investment for this new acute care hospital will provide better access to care closer to home for patients and families in Windsor and Essex County, and the infrastructure and tools our health care workers need to continue delivering exceptional care.”

As part of the planning for the new hospital, about 68 acute mental health beds are expected to be transferred to Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare to improve mental health and addictions services and programs for the people in the area.

These beds will support a new Centre of Excellence in Mental Health and Addictions for the region.

“We have been hard at work filling urgent gaps in care and addressing the extensive wait times for services across Ontario’s mental health and addictions system,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “At the new Centre of Mental Health Excellence, clients will be able to access effective and safe services through a single-entry point, making it easier to receive the high-quality care they expect and deserve.”

Ford also took a tour of the Windsor vaccine centre located in Devonshire Mall on Monday morning.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott at the vaccination clinic at Devonshire Mall in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (Angelo Aversa / CTV Windsor)

The premier was last in the region on Sept. 21, when he visited the Wheatley explosion site.