New critical care centre to open in Brandon this spring, increasing ICU capacity

A new critical care centre in Brandon, part of a redevelopment of the Brandon Regional Health Centre, is almost finished.

Manitobans in the Westman region requiring critical care will soon have more treatment options closer to home, reducing the need to travel to Winnipeg for intensive care.

The Brandon Regional Health Centre’s new critical care centre is expected to begin accepting patients in May, expanding the intensive adult care unit (ICU) capacity from 10 to 16 beds.

“When someone falls ill, critically ill, or needs specialized hospital care, they can get that care closer to home, closer to their families, and closer to their support system,” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said at a news conference Wednesday.

Asagwara said 12 ICU beds will be available when the centre opens, with the remaining four to come online as staffing is secured.

Treena Slate, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health, said the facility will “transform how care is “delivered”—replacing a unit with limited private rooms with a modern centre where every patient has their own room, many with private bathrooms.

“It will ensure that patients can receive advanced lifesaving care closer to home. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role this site plays in caring for patients across the region and beyond and reinforced the need for expanded modern infrastructure,” Slate said.

She noted that Brandon Regional Health Centre operates the only ICU between Regina and Winnipeg along the Trans-Canada Highway and one of just four ICUs in the province.

The redevelopment project, which broke ground roughly three years ago, carries a $120-million price tag from the province.

“We know that this step is going to reduce the need for transfers to Winnipeg, something that I’ve heard loud and clear from when we first came into government,” Asagwara said. “It means that folks are going to be able to heal and recover more comfortably during those difficult times.”

The project also includes a new 30-bed internal medicine unit, with 15 of those beds coming online once additional staffing has been secured.

Dr. Adrian Fung, Prairie Mountain Health’s chief medical officer, said staff contributed to the facility’s design, which incorporates natural light throughout.

“This is a large step forward, and it’s going to make a great deal of change, not just for our patients, but for our staff who are caring for these patients,” he said.

A provincial spokesperson said the NDP government has fully funded 30 additional ICU beds across the province since taking office in October 2023.

Manitoba currently has 180 ICU beds according to Shared Health, which includes capacity at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre, Grace Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital.