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Quebec announced Monday the launch of a renovation and expansion project for the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, which means eastern Montreal should finally be home to a modern health facility within a decade.
Health Minister Christian Dubé was on hand to make the announcement alongside Mayor Valérie Plante and Rosemont MNA Vincent Marissal.
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In his speech, Dubé specified that the project would be carried out in a single phase and that a call for tenders would be launched in the coming days for professional fees for plans and specifications.
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Dubé said he wanted to see a first “backhoe on the construction site” in 2024.
The hospital’s capacity should increase from around 400 beds currently to around 750, including neonatal beds. The project is expected to cost several billion dollars and take a decade to complete.
The only amount put forward so far by Quebec is a “construction cost” estimated at $2 billion, but the total bill should be considerably higher. Dubé acknowledged that the amount could double once fees, equipment and provisions for unforeseen events are factored in.
For comparison, the new 404-bed hospital in Vaudreuil-Soulanges “represents an investment of $2.6 billion,” according to figures from the Health Ministry.
“Today we are respecting a commitment that we made, not only to the hospital, but also to the population,” Dubé said, thanking the staff present in the auditorium for having “put pressure” to arrive at this announcement.
Plante welcomed the news, calling the hospital a strategic institution for east-end Montreal.
Marissal, the Québec solidaire MNA who represents the constituency where Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital is located, said he was delighted with this first step.
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“I won’t shy away from my pleasure; I’ve been fighting for this for five years,” he commented. “But an announcement is good, a hospital is better.”
Marissal said he wants to give Dubé the benefit of the doubt, adding that while he believes Dubé to be “determined,” he intends to remain vigilant until the work has really started.
Liberal health spokesperson André Fortin also described the announcement as “good news.”
“For both the patients and the staff, it was high time,” he reacted in a written statement.
Parti Québécois MNA Joël Arseneau stressed that Quebec has been waiting for this project “for more than 10 years” and has already experienced “two false starts.”
He said he hopes the government will stay the course “despite the predictable explosion of costs.”
The Canadian Press’s health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
Nursing crisis at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital is ‘untenable,’ Dubé says
2021: Maisonneuve-Rosemont expansion is greeted with enthusiasm, skepticism
2018: Quebec announces $1.8-billion reno for Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital
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