Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital: Quebec announces major investment to expand and modernize

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced a major investment to expand and modernize the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal’s East End.

At a press conference on Monday with Montreal mayor Valérie Plante, and Vincent Marissal, the Québec Solidaire MNA for the riding – Dubé announced the province would be launching a call for tenders in the next few days and he hopes construction will begin by 2024.

“This is important for the hospital, the east end of Montreal and many other regions in Quebec because we have many experts here at Maisonneuve-Rosemont,” Dubé said.

Adding that the capacity of the hospital does not currently meet the needs of the population in Montreal’s East End.

“The installation that we have right now represents about 15 per cent of the capacity that we have on the island of Montreal but the population in eastern Montreal is roughly 25 per cent so you see a disconnect between the facilities and the population.”

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There will be an increase to hospital capacity from some 400 beds to almost 750 hospital beds.

“We’re overcapacity right now and that is terrible for our employees that’s why this summer we asked other facilities to help but you cannot always push those problems to the other guys,” he said.

Surgery units will also see upgrades.

The priority will be maintaining health services during the work, the hospital has already begun to make room and move certain clinics.

The work will cost several billion over 10 years.

The only figure put forward by Quebec is an estimated construction cost of $2 billion, but the total bill is likely to be higher.

“I’m delighted that Minister Dubé has finally announced the reconstruction of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital. I’ve been fighting for more than five years to get this project launched, something that the East End of Montreal has been waiting for for far too long. Let’s be clear: an announcement is fine, but a hospital is better. I hope this time it really is the right time,” said Vincent Marissal, Québec solidaire MNA for Rosemont, in a statement. “We don’t want to relive the CHUM saga, which took years to materialize. I know that Minister Dubé is determined not to fail, and for my part, I’m going to continue my work as MNA for Rosemont to ensure that the first shovel of earth is turned as quickly as possible.”

-With files from the Canadian Press