Dr. Jeff Saranchuk, a urologist at the Health Sciences Centre. (HSC / HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — A new urologic centre at the Health Sciences Centre will provide care for up to 10,000 Manitobans annually when it opens next year.
The Manitoba Urologic Centre will treat patients requiring transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), kidney stone removal, and treatment for certain types of bladder cancer, among other conditions.
“This is a very important development for HSC and our patients,” said Dr. Jeff Saranchuk, a urologist at HSC.
“Under the status quo, rural and remote patients often have to make several trips over many months to get the complete care they need. Other patients experience discomfort while waiting for their kidney stones to be treated. We will now have the capacity to treat people more quickly—sometimes within days—with the best technology available.”
Officials say with many procedures moving from operating rooms to the new centre, space will be freed up elsewhere for additional surgical capacity within the province’s health-care system.
For rural and northern patients, the new centre will be able to work toward performing the required procedure on the same day they receive their diagnosis.
The centre will be located on the HSC campus at the Notre Dame Pavilion. Construction costs and equipment acquisition will be funded by the HSC Foundation and its donors. Shared Health will be responsible for paying ongoing operating costs.
The current urology space, located within HSC’s main hospital building, will be redeveloped for other high-priority acute care needs.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
