The Bethesda Foundation requested that the City of Steinbach pledge a contribution of $3 million spread over the next 10 years at the Strategic Priorities Committee (SPC) meeting on Tuesday evening at Steinbach City Hall. 

The funding will go toward the new three operating rooms in which construction is expected to be complete by September of 2025. 

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk says the operating rooms will really help the healthcare system in Steinbach because it will allow for more operations done in our region. 

“Having three rooms will make sure that every day, all day long, there'll be at least two operations going on. One will be getting cleaned and there'll be two being operated in,” he says. “I think that will definitely benefit the entire region because it'll be less people that will have to go to Ste. Anne and Winnipeg for their operations.” 

The estimated project cost of the complete expansion at Bethesda Regional Health Centre is 137 million, while the funds that the Bethesda Foundation needs to raise are 22 million. 

Projects that come down from the province carry a community component which is usually roughly around 10 per cent.  

Funk says Bethesda Foundation is looking to give an $8 million commitment over 10 years and they've asked City Council to commit $300,000 a year for a total of $3 million to help with that. 

“Many communities, they're not as fortunate to have an organization like the Bethesda Foundation, they have to come up with that 10 per cent on their own and most of that burden falls on the municipality.” 

They currently have raised just over 14.5 million of that total, meaning they still need to raise just over 7.4 million. 

Council will discuss their decision at their study session in November, and it will not become official until they approve their budget which is usually done in March. 

This is not the only project that the Bethesda Foundation wants to do.  

Funk says they have secured some land North of Loewen Blvd, which council approved third reading on that subdivision.  

“So I know that we will be seeing more healthcare projects in our community, based on their plan going forward, they want to see more happening in our community,” he says. “When healthcare comes to your community, it is always good. It's a quality of life issue, and these are these are good projects to be working on in our community.” 

 

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