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Vol. 65, Issue 35
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Hospital’s new intensive care unit unveiled TREVOR CRAWLEY
Politicians, community volunteers and public servants celebrated the official unveiling of the new Intensive Care Unit at the East
Kootenay Regional Hospital with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon. The ICU, a $20 million project that broke ground in May 2014, fin-
ished ahead of schedule and under budget and will be fully operational by April. In addition to the ICU expansion, which includes six beds, the
project also included an electrical system upgrade for the entire EKRH facility. Of the six beds, two are for high-acuity care, which are for patients who re-
quire more care than a standard inpatient ward, but less than the ICU and will help make sure the right bed is used to meet the care needs of patients.
East Kootenay Championships
Colden Edey goes for the three-pointer in the finals of the East Kootenay Junior Basketball Championships held this weekend past at Parkland in Cranbrook. Edey and the Mount Baker Jr. Wild reached the finals Saturday, but their opponents, the Prince Charles Secondary Bulldogs from Creston, prevailed. See more in Tuesday’s Daily Townsman. Barry Coulter photo
Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett, who hosted the ceremony, noted that the project was the result of various levels of government and community organizations coming together to realize a vision. “Our regional hospital continues to improve service to the public and having celebrated each milestone in this project, along with the community, I am very proud of the Province’s continuing investment,” said Bennett. “The people of the East Kootenay will benefit for generations from this beautiful facility.” In his remarks, Bennett also noted the importance of the electrical upgrades, which improves power supply to the entire hospital, opti-
mizes the systems performance and provides capacity to expand for future power needs. “I do recall a tour of the hospital I went on in 2000 and interestingly last night, there was a power outage and the new backup generators had to be fired up,” Bennett said. “…The two generators kicked in without a beat and there was electricity where and when it was needed. “When I toured the hospital in the year 2000, I was taken down into the basement…and there are many here who will remember this—that old generator that used sit down in the basement, sometimes it wouldn’t start.
See NEW ICU, Page 4
Woman arrested after stabbing her partner FOR TH E TOWN SMAN
A Cranbrook resident is in custody after stabbing her partner in the thigh in the early morning hours of February 20th, 2016. In response to a report of a domestic altercation at a local apartment building, Cranbrook RCMP found a manin obvious distress with a serious thigh wound. The officers were quick to initiate emergency first aid to the man and were able to stabilize him until BC Ambulance Services ar-
rived. The victim was then transported to East Kootenay Regional Hospital by BC Ambulance where priority emergency room treatment improved his condition further. The man is currently in surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. Police arrested a woman at the scene and are holding her in custody to take before the courts. This was a targeted attack in a domestic relationship with no risk to the public.
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