Penticton Regional Hospital expansion on time, on budget

PENTICTON – Construction of the new tower at Penticton Regional Hospital is close to reaching the halfway point.

EllisDon project manager Jason Hui says last winter’s harsher weather slowed construction a bit, but construction of the $312.6 million David E. Kampe Tower is now caught up and 45 per cent complete.

During a media tour of the construction site yesterday, Sept. 29, Hui said crews are currently building the deck for a final horizontal pour on the tower next week. Following that, the crane on the north end of the site will be dismantled. He said work is expected to begin shortly on the accompanying parkade.

Executive director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation Carey Bornn said construction of the tower is expected to be completed by December, 2018, with the doors open to patients in April, 2019.

The new construction will feature 84 new single patient rooms, satellite medical imaging, including a new MRI and nuclear medicine program, five new operating rooms and space for the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine program. An ambulatory care centre will also be housed in the tower.

Tower funding is coming from the province ($161.1 million), the Okanagan Similkameen Hospital District ($117 million), South Okanagan Medical Foundation ($20 million) and Interior Health ($14.4 million).

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