For Immediate Release                                                                        December 21, 2005

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT IMPROVES CONDITION OF

KINGSTON HOSPITALS

KINGSTON – The McGuinty government is ensuring that Kingston area hospitals maintain their infrastructure conditions for patients by investing $777,592 in needed upgrades, MPP John Gerretsen announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“This investment will help our local hospitals keep pace with needed improvements so that they can continue to offer the best possible care to Kingston residents,” said Gerretsen. “Our government realizes that safe and well maintained hospitals are an important part of quality health care, not only for the patients but for health care professionals.”

A total of $60 million in capital funding will be invested in Ontario hospitals for projects including:

* Work needed to address requirements under the Ontario Building Code 

   and Ontario Fire Code such as upgrading fire-alarm systems   

* Upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

* Structural repairs including roof replacement and windows and

* Improvements to comply with health and safety standards, such as 

   upgrading back-up generators.        

Funding is being provided through the government’s Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund, which allows hospitals to decide where to invest the money and lets them proceed quickly with projects. This fiscal year, the government has improved the distribution funding formula to provide an increased minimum grant of $150,000 per site for all hospitals.

“Our government is strengthening all areas of our hospitals so that they can better serve patients,” Smitherman said. “We’re continually striving to improve infrastructure planning to determine the most economical and efficient way to improve hospital facilities and long-term investments.”

Under the province’s ReNew Ontario investment infrastructure plan announced in May, the McGuinty government and its partners will invest $5 billion over the next five years to improve health care facilities.

These initiatives are part of the McGuinty government’s plan to build a health care system that delivers on three priorities—keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

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