New Moose Jaw hospital officially opens

The new Moose Jaw hospital officially opened Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.

A new hospital has officially opened in Moose Jaw that features a helicopter pad, a hyperbaric chamber and the first permanent MRI scanner outside Regina and Saskatoon.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility that shows how to meet health-care needs by putting patients first.

The $99.5 million facility's design allows health-care teams to bring most services directly to patients in a treatment room or a patient's private room.

Dr. Fred H. Wigmore was a surgeon who worked in the Moose Jaw area for 44 years.

Wigmore's son, who is also named Dr. Fred Wigmore, says naming the hospital after his father is a real tribute to his legacy in medical care and community development.

Patients started moving into the 18,580 square-metre hospital about three weeks ago.