New air handling units represent bulk of provincial investment
Adam Bramburger
Beaver Staff
With $703,566 in grants from the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund, the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital will be able to replace aging equipment and create efficiencies.
Chief executive officer Wayne Coveyduck said the lion’s share of the grant money — about $550,000 — will be used to replace air handling units from the original hospital build in 1964.
“Not only does replacing the units make them more dependable, the units will also be much more efficient with electrical drive motors that reduce operating costs going forward,” Coveyduck said.
Hospitals are required to have air conditioning capability and Coveyduck said, in the summer months, systemic breakdowns can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. The upgrade will help maintain cool conditions.
“We’re hoping we have uninterrupted service,” he said.
The system is expected to be installed and tested by March 31. Coveyduck does not anticipate any disruptions for staff or patients as a result of the work.
The funding will also provide some $128,000 to replace aging switchboard equipment, which has been in place since 1965 and about $25,000 to replace external steel doors that have been weathered and rusted.
The money is part of a $175-million envelope that will see repairs and upgrades at 128 hospitals in the province. Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp said the money will allow hospitals to address urgent maintenance and upgrade issues while the government works on a long-term health care strategy to address issues like “hallway health care.”
“The health and safety of patients and families is a priority for our government. That’s why we must make the necessary investments in our hospitals now, to ensure our providers have the facilities they need to continue to provide excellent quality care to patients,” Kramp said in a news release.