The diagnostic and treatment centre at the new Cowichan District Hospital has hit a milestone, reaching structural completion.

The centre will house outpatient and diagnostic-care services, including an emergency department, medical imaging, ambulatory care, a pharmacy and cafeteria and will be linked to an inpatient tower through a community hall.

“We are tremendously proud of reaching this milestone, and our team’s contributions to the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project. This is a vital step toward building a hospital providing integrated health services with special considerations to the diverse health, community and cultural needs of the broader Cowichan region. As part of the alliance, we look forward to delivering a hospital that puts patients first,” said Sean Dekoning, senior vice-president and area manager, EllisDon.

Work will now continue on its interior, while structural work continues on the seven-storey inpatient tower and service centre. Construction of the 204-bed hospital is on track for completion in 2026, and is expected to be ready for patients in 2027.

Designed by Parkin Architects, it will be the first fully electric hospital in B.C. It is being built to LEED Gold standards, featuring an 80 per cent reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions compared to the current hospital.

The hospital will be 56,448 square metres (607,601 square feet), more than three times larger than the current facility. The number of spaces in the emergency department will increase from 17 in the current hospital to 36. This includes two trauma bays, fast-track streaming, monitored care and a dedicated acute psychiatric zone.

There will be seven operating rooms, an increase of three, with one dedicated to C-sections, as well as increased CT scanning capacity and built-in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, there are nine surgical procedure rooms, an increase of six rooms from the current hospital.