Donors tour the new pediatric cath lab at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital on Friday, January 17, 2020. (CHRISD.CA FILE)
WINNIPEG — A new pediatric cath lab at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital is now open to offer specialized care to young patients.
The lab opened January 20 and has already accommodated five families who didn’t have to leave the province to receive care.
“At HSC Winnipeg, we care for the sickest children across Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and Nunavut,” said Dr. Reeni Soni, section head of pediatric cardiology at HSC Children’s.
“We are delighted that the cath lab is functioning as we envisioned, which means we’re now able to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures in an extremely safe, technologically advanced and patient-centered environment.”
The lab provides a procedure known as cardiac catheterization, which allows for the visual examination of a child’s heart to ensure it’s working. The cath lab includes state-of-the-art equipment and is expected to treat up to 80 lower-risk children per year in Manitoba, who would otherwise have to travel to Edmonton or Vancouver.
Capital costs for the cath lab were just over $1 million and were paid for by donors through the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, with Barb and Gerry Price contributing $500,000 towards the initiative.
“This new cath lab and the upcoming Heart Centre will help ensure enhanced patient care, shorter wait times, and local care for families for many years to come,” said Stefano Grande, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.
“We’re so grateful to Barb and Gerry Price and all the other wonderful donors who have made this cath lab a reality, and are continuing to help us work toward the Children’s Heart Centre.”
The new cath lab is part of an overall campaign goal by the foundation to raise $10.9 million to build a new HSC Children’s Heart Centre. When complete, the new centre will include two additional examination rooms, four cardiologist offices and dedicated spaces for services such as ultrasound, EKG testing and counselling.
