Health and Community Services
Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
July 15, 2011

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Benefiting from Health Care Funding

Health care infrastructure continues to be strengthened in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with the announcement of approximately $1.4 million for capital equipment, repairs and renovations. The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, was joined by the Honourable John Hickey, Minister of Labrador Affairs and MHA for Lake Melville; Boyd Rowe, CEO, Labrador-Grenfell Health; and, Leo Abbass, Mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, for today’s announcement at the Labrador Health Centre.

“The maintenance and upgrading of our health care infrastructure is essential to the delivery of our health care services,” said Minister Kennedy. “This funding will secure essential pieces of medical equipment for the Labrador Health Centre, as well as continue the extensive investment in repairs and renovations to upgrade this facility and ensure its longevity for future generations.”

Through Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador, $770,500 is allocated to the Labrador Health Centre for the purchase of capital equipment which includes a dialysis water treatment system, a microbiology analyzer machine, lab sterilizer, portable ultrasound, yttrium aluminum garnet laser for laser surgery, centrifuge and iodized triage unit.

“Improved access to primary health care services that is responsive to the unique needs of people throughout Labrador is a clearly stated goal in the Northern Strategic Plan,” said Minister Hickey. “To achieve this goal it is vital that we continue the work to maintain, enhance and improve our health infrastructure. Today’s announcement of $1.4 million for the Labrador Health Centre will do a great deal to support the delivery of accessible, quality health care for Labradorians.”

The health centre will also benefit from $650,000 for repairs and renovations that will be used for window replacements, repairs to the exterior of the facility and renovations to the housing units used by visiting health care professionals.

“Labrador-Grenfell Health welcomes these significant investments which are necessary to maintain and improve health services at the Labrador Health Centre and in the region,” said Mr. Rowe.

Since 2003-04, approximately $8.6 million has been invested in the Labrador Health Centre for capital equipment, repairs and renovations. The funding has been used to purchase equipment including a digital mammography machine, haematology analyzers, an anaesthetic system and a mobile x-ray unit, as well as repairs and renovations to the facility, for the construction of a chemotherapy suite, isolation room and window repairs.

Budget 2011 continues the Provincial Government’s commitment to upgrading and modernizing health infrastructure with a total investment of $272.2 million, which includes $200.6 million for new and continuing construction and redevelopment projects, $50 million for new equipment and $21.6 million for repairs and renovations.

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Media contacts:

Jennifer Tulk Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 699-6524 jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca	John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs 709-729-1674, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca
Alison Dower Regional Director of Communications Labrador-Grenfell Health 709-454-0128, 454-1205 alison.dower@lghealth.ca

2011 07 15             12:35 p.m.