Peninsula residents have improved access to day surgery thanks to donations from the community.
A new and expanded day surgery unit opened its doors in the Saanich Peninsula Hospital in April, greeted with a blessing from local First Nations elders May Sam, Patti Underwood and Barb Henry.
Shelley Mann, chair of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Healthcare Foundation, said the project, five years in the making, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a dedicated group of donors.
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“These friends and neighbours of ours on the Saanich Peninsula contributed the entire cost of the project, $3.5 million. We are so grateful to them for helping our hospital continue to meet the needs of our growing and changing community,” said Mann.
Island Health board chair Leah Hollins said the expanded unit will increase access to medical daycare and support the delivery of surgeries “for people accessing care close to home in what is truly a community hospital.”
Jessica Johnson, director for Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands, said as surgical techniques advance, more and more surgeries can be performed as day surgery.
“This modernization will further improve access for patients requiring medical, surgical and endoscopic care, and by consolidating activity in one part of the hospital, we will be able to increase our efficiency,” said Johnson.
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The community is welcome to take a virtual tour of the new unit through the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Healthcare Foundation website at sphf.ca.
Since its formation, the foundation has raised $65 million for equipment, facilities and programs both at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and in the community.
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