A 12 bed high acuity unit (HAU) has been added to the ongoing intensive care expansion project currently underway at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. 

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The new unit will replace the temporary HAU ward, which currently has beds for a maximum of eight patients, and will give nurses and other caregivers increased capacity and resources to provide better care for those in the unit.

The expansion is part of a wider renovation to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital, which has been underway since the winter of 2021. 

The government hopes the expansion projects will alleviate stress on both staff and patients at the hospital:

“We know that demand for health care, in particular from those with complex care needs, is growing, and growing rapidly in our province,” said BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “Expanding the scope of the ICU redevelopment at NRGH by adding the new HAU will make it easier to move patients between the two units so people can get the care they need quickly.” 
 
According to a press release by Island Health, the new HAU unit is expected to add $18.5 million, which will bring the total cost of the ICU expansion to $60.1 million, the cost being shared between the Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District, and the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation.

You can find the full press release here.