Lachine Hospital expansion promises state-of-the-art facilities, better patient care

Lachine Hospital is getting a much-needed facelift, with the project estimated to cost $210 million, according to the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

The hospital, which was founded in 1913, is in dire need of modernization, says the Lachine Hospital Foundation, which is working with the MUHC Foundation to raise additional funds for the expansion.

Previous renovations were done in the 1990s, "when we were using cassette tapes, floppy disks and the very first home computers. In the time between the birth of the world wide web and the smartphones that keep us constantly connected, Lachine Hospital has barely changed," the foundation stresses.

"From the beginning of the project, we have worked with patients and employees to ensure that the Lachine Hospital becomes a modern, patient-centred health care facility with a human face," said MUHC President and CEO, Dr. Pierre Gfeller. "What we see today is the beginning of a great achievement, not only for the population of Lachine, Dorval and the surrounding area, but also for our employees and those who will join the ranks in the future."

Part of the expansion includes a new building that will house the emergency room, the intensive care unit and add more operating, palliative and individual patient rooms.

"Lachine Hospital is an important facility that reaches a large number of users and we are committed to providing them with even more accessible and safe services," said Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé.

The hospital foundation says it is also investing $5 million to purchase more equipment for its operating and ER rooms, as well as its palliative, nursing and ICUs.

The current hospital building will also be renovated and expanded.

“This modernization will bring our hospital to the next level and will have all kinds of benefits for patients. We have waited for this for a long time,” said Dr. Manuel Perrier, an ophthalmologist at Lachine Hospital.

Construction on the new building is slated to start in May and is expected to be completed by 2025.