Fort Macled and district residents will benefit from expanded renal dialysis services at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
The province is investing $22 million over three years to improve programs for people with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.
“Our ongoing work at Chinook Regional Hospital will improve renal care programs, boost access to dialysis treatment and increase capacity while expanding hours of service,” Infrastructure Minister Martin Long said in a news release.
“Earlier this year, we finished our Alberta Surgical Initiative project at the same hospital, which expands surgical capacity for Lethbridge and area residents while demonstrating our government’s commitment to expanding health care services for southern Albertans.”
The renal dialysis expansion will introduce a new unit designed to address over-capacity issues.
This upgrade will feature 28 hemodialysis stations, along with two airborne isolation rooms, for a total of 30 treatment stations.
The project will also include the construction of four new examination rooms, along with additional spaces for family consultations, training and other support services.
“Every Albertan deserves timely care close to home,” Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Matt Jones said. “This investment will expand renal dialysis services in southern Alberta by increasing capacity, improving efficiency and enhancing the patient experience for those needing life-saving treatment.”
Renovations to the hospital’s operating facilities through the Alberta Surgical Initiative capital program were finished earlier this year.
This included upgrading and expanding two existing operating rooms and creating five new inpatient beds.
The added space is projected to increase surgical procedure capacity by about 780 procedures per year.
The province is also providing $5 million to advance plans for enhanced cardiac and intensive care services in southern Alberta, including a cardiac catheterization lab and 34 new beds in Lethbridge.
These new beds will have the ability to be ICU or lower-acuity beds, depending on hospital needs at any given time.
Construction of the renal dialysis project at Chinook Regional Hospital is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026 and will support about 124 jobs in construction and the trades.
The Alberta Surgical Initiative Lethbridge project was completed under its projected $14.8-million budget.
