April 20, 2007

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is investing $6.7 million to support expansion plans and renovations to improve access to services for patients at Toronto East General Hospital, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

“Ontarians deserve the very best health care, including quality hospital care,” Smitherman said. “That’s why we’re providing Toronto East General Hospital with two grants totaling $6.7 million to undertake major renovations and upgrades to improve access to services to better meet patient needs and improve workplace health and safety.”

A $3.3 million investment will support the hospital in developing a proposal and business case to redevelop various program areas such as ambulatory care clinics, medical and surgical beds, mental health inpatient beds as well as the cardiology diagnostic laboratory, and the respiratory centre. This proposed project would result in improved access to health care services in the Toronto area as well as improvements in workplace wellness, safety and productivity.

An additional investment of $3.4 million will be used to expand and renovate Toronto East General Hospital’s emergency and haemotology/oncology departments, which will improve access to services. The hospital is being given approvals to proceed with issuing tenders for these projects which received funding of $3.95 million in March 2006.

“We are pleased with the government’s support for our redevelopment planning and renovations,” said Mr. Rob Devitt, President and CEO of Toronto East General Hospital. “While the Toronto East General Hospital facilities have served our community well since 1929, significant facility changes are required to ensure that TEGH has the capacity and flexibility needed to continue to meet the full range of acute health care needs in our community for another 75 years.”

“To deliver top quality health care, we have to ensure that our hospitals are in good condition,” said Barry Monaghan, CEO of the Toronto Central LHIN. “This investment will help to improve the hospitals’ facilities and increase access to health care for residents of the Toronto Central LHIN.”

This is just the latest example of how the McGuinty government is working to provide quality hospital care. Other initiatives include :

• Investing $5 billion in modernizing and expanding health care facilities by 2010 to meet the needs of the province’s growing and aging population.
• Investing $143 million in an Emergency Department Action Plan, which contains system-wide solutions to ensure emergency rooms stay open and increase capacity in the health care system to meet the needs of Ontario patients.
• Reducing wait times for five key health care services (hip and knee joint replacement, cataract surgeries, MRI exams, cancer surgeries and cardiac procedures).

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