Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford has officially opened, which the province says will offer patients and offenders living with mental health issues enhanced facilities and programming.
“We love having our own rooms for privacy, convenience and being able to make it our own space,” said one of the patients, named Keri.
“We also love having our own bathrooms. I only have to share a bathroom with one other person as opposed to 20. I love having all the windows and having the sunshine to warm all of our hearts."
The $407 million building replaces a century-old psychiatric care facility and two correctional facilities.
“The grand opening of the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford represents the single largest investment in mental health services in the history of our province,” Premier Scott Moe said in a news release.
“Our government is committed to providing better, more efficient mental health services for Saskatchewan residents, and the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford will ensure patients in Saskatchewan receive the care they need, when they need it.”
The new SHNB includes 188 psychiatric rehabilitation beds and a separate secure wing with 96 beds for offenders living with mental health issues, a total of 284 beds. This includes 32 more psychiatric rehabilitation beds than the old SHNB so that patients in need of care can receive it as quickly as possible. All patients from the old SHNB have been relocated and settled in to the new facility.
“The new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford is among the most advanced mental health treatment centres in all of Canada,” Health Minister Jim Reiter said in the release.
“Its patient-focused design includes private rooms that are more spacious, natural lighting throughout the facility, and other features that make it an overall more therapeutic environment for patients in their journey through healing.”
