'Complex' 3-floor addition underway at Dartmouth General Hospital
The Nova Scotia government has issued the second of three tenders for the expansion of the Dartmouth General Hospital.
Construction of a three-floor addition is underway starting with the concrete footings of the outer structure.
"It's complex because we're renovating but we're not moving out, so it will require some ongoing consultation," said Dr. Todd Howlett, the hospital's chief of staff.
A construction team with PCL Constructors Canada, which won the bid for the first tender issued in March, is working with medical staff to figure out the timing of certain types of work.
"The priority will be to keep the beds open ... and to keep the hospital running as smoothly as we can," project manager Robbie Frame said Tuesday during a tour of the construction site for media.
Multimillion-dollar project
The second tender, issued Tuesday, is for the exterior cladding and the roof. The third and final tender will be issued in September for the interior work.
The estimated cost for the total project is between $132 million and $138 million.
The expansion will create space for 48 more beds — a 40 per cent increase — as well as double the number of operating rooms to eight from four.
Eventual closures
There will also be upgrades to outpatient and diagnostic imaging areas.
"It'll mean improvements to the pharmacy and a new patient elevator that will move patients more safely with more room," said Howlett.
The expansion is part of the redevelopment of the QEII Health Sciences Centre which will eventually mean the closure of the Centennial and Victoria buildings at the Victoria General site in Halifax.
"It's important to let Nova Scotians know that this work is underway. It is a change in the way we deliver services," said Nova Scotia Health Minister Randy Delorey.
Once the new operating rooms in the Dartmouth General are open, it will mean patients in Halifax will travel to Dartmouth for elective surgery.
The Dartmouth General project is expected to be completed by 2022.
