March 22, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

Province to spend over $50 million in new health equipment

Roger Grimes, Minister of Health and Community Services, announced today that government will spend $54.3 million on equipment for its health centres and long term care facilities in the next three years; $24.3 million of this will be spent in 2000/01.

"Our goal is to bring the latest technology into our health facilities so that patients will receive the best quality care possible," said Minister Grimes. "This is an area of particular importance to us. I am pleased that every area of the province will benefit from this investment."

The equipment to be purchased includes an MRI upgrade; CT scanners; cardiac monitors; ventilators; anaesthetic equipment; ultrasound equipment; mammography equipment; x-ray and laboratory equipment; and furnishings for hospital and nursing home rooms. Some equipment is cost-shared with boards.

Six million dollars has been specifically earmarked for the new Janeway, as part of the St. John�s site redevelopment. "Together with the $5 million government spent last year and the $6 million to be raised by the Health Care Corporation Foundations, the new St. John�s redevelopment will see $17 million in new equipment," said the minister.

Two million dollars will be spent at James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander as well.

Specific examples of equipment which will be purchased, by health care facility, include, but are not limited to:

Central NF Regional Health Centre - Cardiac Monitoring Equipment; Blood Gas Analyzer; General X-Ray Machine
Harbour Breton Health Centre - Ultrasound Machine
Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital - Kidney Dialysis Equipment; Radiographic Fluoroscopic Suite (X-Ray Equipment)
Western Memorial Regional Hospital - Echocardiography and X-Ray Equipment

James Paton Memorial Hospital - Ultrasound Machine; CT Scanner; Sterilizer
Carbonear General Hospital - CT Scanner; Ventilator
St. Patrick�s Nursing Home - Meal Tray Delivery System
Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre - Pulmonary Function Machine; Mammography Equipment
Dr. GB Cross Memorial Hospital - CT Scanner; Digital Fluoroscopy (X-Ray Equipment)
Melville Health Centre - CT Scanner
Dr. William Newhook Community Health Centre - X-Ray Equipment

Health Care Corporation of St. John�s - Anaesthesia Machines/Monitors; Microscopes/Monitors; Heart/Lung Machine; Ventilators; Chest X-Ray Unit; Ultrasound Machine; Laboratory Analyzer; EEG Machine; Neonatal Ventilators
Newfoundland and Labrador Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation - Replacement of Clinac 18 (Radiation Therapy Equipment)

Media contact: 

Karen McCarthy, Communications, (709)729-6670.
Carl Cooper, Communications, (709)729-1377.

2000 03 22