Quebec to modernize Montreal's Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital

Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital is seen in Montreal on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

The Quebec government has officially launched the modernization and expansion project for the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal's east end.

Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement along with Mayor Valérie Plante and Rosemont Solidaire MNA Vincent Marissal.

In his speech, the minister specified that the project would be carried out in a single phase on the current hospital site and that a call for tenders would be issued in the next few days for the professional fees for plans and specifications.

Dubé said he would like to see the first "spine on site" in 2024.

Eventually, the hospital should grow from some 400 beds to around 750 beds, including neonatal beds. The project is expected to cost several billion dollars over a decade.

For the moment, the only figure put forward by Quebec is a "construction cost" estimated at $2 billion, but the total bill is likely to be considerably higher. Dubé acknowledged that it could "double," including fees, equipment and provisions for contingencies.

In comparison, the new 404-bed hospital being built in Vaudreuil-Soulanges "represents an investment of $2.6 billion," according to Ministry of Health figures.

"Today, we are honouring a commitment we made, not only to the hospital, but also to the population," said Dubé, thanking the staff in the auditorium for "putting on the pressure."

Mayor Plante welcomed the good news, referring to the hospital as a vital institution for the east end of the metropolis.

As for the organization of care in the midst of such an ambitious project, the president and CEO of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Jean-François Fortin-Verreault, admitted that "it's going to be demanding."

While the objective remains to maintain 100 per cent of services, some of these will have to be relocated to other CIUSSS facilities. Management has already begun "to make room."

OPPOSITION REACTIONS

Invited for the occasion, Québec solidaire's Marissal, who represents the riding where the hospital is located, was delighted with this first step.

"I've been fighting for this for five years," he said. "But an announcement is good, a hospital is better."

Marissal wants to give the minister the benefit of the doubt and says he believes he is "determined," but he intends to remain vigilant until the work has really started.

Liberal health spokesperson André Fortin also sees this as "good news."

"For patients and staff alike, it's about time," he said in a written statement.

For the Parti Québécois, MNA Joël Arseneau pointed out that the project has been on the drawing board "for over 10 years," and that there have already been "two false starts."

He now hopes that the government will stay the course "despite the foreseeable explosion in costs."

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 11, 2023. The Canadian Press health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.