Premier tours South Calgary Hospital as it nears completion

Residents of southeast Calgary who have been waiting about ten years for a promised hospital in the area will finally get their rewarded later this year.

Following a tour of the facility that included Premier Alison Redford and other members of cabinet, Health minister Fred Horne and Alberta Health Services provided an update on the South Calgary Health Campus.

The hospital will open in phases starting with out-patient care this summer.

The emergency department will open in the fall, with the entire 310 bed facility up and running by April, 2013.

"The additional acute beds, the emergency department in particular are really important in the south of Calgary," says Health Minister Fred Horne. "My understanding is we're on schedule, and I'm very pleased with the progress."

Horne says the project is on track to meet the original budget of $1.31-billion and that hiring staff for the facility is already underway.