The next phase of development for the new Weyburn and District General Hospital will soon be underway.

Saskatoon-based Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. will be responsible for leading the design of the new facility which will serve Weyburn and the surrounding area. The 35-bed health care building will include primary health services, a 10-bed inpatient mental health unit and enhanced emergency services, including a heliport.

The government says this will help bring health services currently in different locations around Weyburn under one roof.

“A brand new state-of-the-art hospital is something the people of Weyburn and area have been working toward for a long time,” stated Education Minister and Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan on behalf of Rural and Remote Health Minister Everett Hindley. “We are so grateful to the community for the support and generosity they have shown to help make this project a reality.”

Group2 will be developing the specifications of the hospital, including validating program requirements, refining cost estimates and preparing the design, construction and clinical specifications.

“The community will play an important role in the design of our new facility,” said Saskatchewan Health Authority Vice-President of Infrastructure, Information and Support Andrew Will in a media release.

“We understand the complex nature of health care and appreciate the benefit that will be achieved as the new hospital will include access to a variety of services under one roof, including acute care, primary health services, mental health and emergency services.”

The next stage in the project will be to select a construction team once designing has begun. A multi-stage procurement for construction is expected to start late this summer, with construction anticipated to begin in 2022.