Hospital redevelopment plans progressing in Cape Breton, Halifax

The provincial government's hospital redevelopment plans are progressing.

On Wednesday, there was news that construction has started on a new six-station dialysis unit at Glace Bay Hospital.

The work, which is expected to take about a year to complete, will create space for 24 patients a day. Those patients mustcurrently travel to Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney for treatment.

It's the latest in a string of recent updates on hospital projectsin the Halifax and Cape Breton area, which include new community health centres in North Sydney and New Waterford.

On Tuesday, the government announced William Nycum and Associates was awarded the design tender for the expansion of the IWK Health Centre's emergency department. Construction is expected to begin next summer.

Qualifying companies announced last week

Last week, EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare and Plenary PCL Health were named as the qualifying companies to bid on apublic-private partnership project as part of theQueen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre redevelopment.

That work includes designing, building, financing and maintaining the expansion of the Halifax Infirmary site, which will see a new cancer centre, new outpatient centre, more inpatient beds and operating rooms and a new innovation and learning centre.

The government awarded the design services tender in June for the expansion of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital. EXP will design the new 190,000-square-foot building, which will include an expandedemergency department, critical-care department and cancer-care centre.

In May, the government announced the short list for companies bidding on the new community outpatient centre to be constructed in the Bayers Lake Business Park in Halifax. Earlier this month a request for proposals was issued to the three companies for the public-private project.

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