Province invests $27B in hospital infrastructure

TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing $27 billion over the next 10 years in essential hospital infrastructure.

The funding will build frontline care capacity with more than 3,000 new hospital beds, indicates a release issued by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

To mark the investment, Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health and long-term care, was on hand to celebrate the grand opening of Unity Health Toronto, St. Joseph’s Health Centre’s newly expanded mental health emergency services unit.

“With these long-overdue infrastructure investments, we will ease the crippling pressures plaguing Ontario’s hospitals and empower nurses and doctors to provide better, faster care,” said Elliott in a statement.

In addition to investments in creating more beds, the government is also making renewal investments to ensure that long-neglected facilities across the province are properly maintained, adds the release.