New Medical Equipment Announced for Burin

The Burin Peninsula Health Centre will benefit from $942,500 in funding for new equipment provided through Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador. The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, made the announcement yesterday at the health centre.

Minister Kennedy was joined by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA for Burin - Placentia West; the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and MHA for Grand Bank; Vickie Kaminski, President and CEO, Eastern Health; and, Kevin Lundrigan, Mayor of Burin, for the announcement.

“This health care facility is an essential piece of health care infrastructure that serves the Burin Peninsula,” said Minister Kennedy. “Providing new equipment is important and ensures that the residents of this region have access to health services. These investments provide the necessary tools to build healthy communities and allow residents to have services as close to their homes as possible.”

The Burin Peninsula Health Centre funding includes the purchase of:

• a new x-ray unit;
• slide stainer;
• two infusion syringe pumps;
• phototherapy unit; and,
• bi-level positive airway pressure unit.

The funding will also be used to replace flooring and ceilings in the emergency department, for redevelopment of the children’s playroom and patient washroom upgrades.

“Investing and expanding access at this facility provides all residents of the Burin Peninsula increased health care quality,” said Minister Jackman. “Health care is paramount for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and this announcement shows our government’s commitment to ensuring continued access for all residents of our province.”

In addition to the infrastructure funding, Budget 2011 also allocated $631,200 to increase access to dialysis services in the Burin region. This funding will increase capacity for up to an additional 12 patients and help reduce the wait list for this region. Planning for this expansion is currently ongoing.

“Continued investments in the Burin Peninsula Health Centre in recent years demonstrate our government’s continued commitment to a quality health care system for the residents of the region,” said Minister King. “This announcement of new equipment, along with increases to the dialysis service will ensure residents have access to these essential services close to their homes.”

Over the past several years the Provincial Government has invested approximately $7.9 million in the Burin Peninsula Health Centre. This funding has been used for capital equipment including the purchase of a CT scanner, anaesthetic machine, defibrillators, cardiography monitor, mammography machine and ultrasound equipment. Repairs to this facility have been made to the operating room and roof, and ongoing renovation work continues to the ambulatory treatment area and medication room in the emergency room.

“On behalf of Eastern Health, I want to thank the Provincial Government for its ongoing investment and commitment to health care in this region,” said Ms. Kaminski. “These recent investments will allow us to enhance quality of care within a full range of the services we provide, from diagnosis to delivery of medical services.”

Budget 2011 made an unprecedented investment in health care that is providing $2.9 billion to improve and maintain the delivery of health care services throughout the province. The Provincial Government is continuing its commitment to upgrading and modernizing health infrastructure throughout the province with a total investment of $272.2 million allocated in Budget 2011, 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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2011 08 04             9:45 a.m.