Goderich could be getting a new hospital in the distant future.
Jimmy Trieu, president and CEO of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, said hospitals don't last forever and as he takes a look at the eight hospitals in the Huron-Perth area, they're all in various stages of decay or in need of repair.
He suggests they should be looking at meeting the needs of the community from a regional perspective, and they're looking at some master planning that will help them lay the foundation for a plan they present to the Ministry of Health regarding the construction of a new hospital in Goderich.
“It was built in the 1940s," said Trieu. "The ministry considers the life span of a hospital to be 50 years and we're well past that. We certainly have to do some work to revitalize our hospital.”
He added that they're probably about 10 years away for actually having shovels in the ground.
“We're hoping to get a plan for submission to the ministry within the next 18 months," he said. "Then we'll be involving stakeholders in the community, the board, our hospital staff, physicians, and any interested party who wants to make a contribution.”
While they're looking at a new hospital in the future, Trieu said they still have to keep in mind and invest in the day to day operation of the existing hospital.