Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) in British Columbia (BC), Canada, has initiated construction on its 15 new operating rooms and an upgrade to one hybrid operating room as part of a Phase II expansion project.

This is anticipated to enhance surgical care access for the Vancouver population and the broader BC region.

The project is financially supported by the Province of British Columbia and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

BC infrastructure minister Bowinn Ma said: “Construction is now underway on these important health-care facilities, while also creating good jobs during construction and, once complete, in healthcare.”

The new operating rooms are designed with a universal concept, enabling any type of surgery to be conducted in any room.

Coupled with improved equipment and storage arrangements, the flexibility aims to streamline the workflow during surgeries, thereby boosting efficiency.

Design enhancements, along with technology and equipment, aim to foster a safer and more comfortable working environment for staff while also optimising patient safety.

Phase I of the expansion, completed in May 2021, saw the inauguration of the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Surgical Centre, which houses 16 operating rooms and a 40-bay area for pre- and post-operative recovery.

Upon the completion of Phase II, the centre will feature a total of 32 operating rooms and 78 perioperative bays.

The upgrade also encompasses improvements to the infrastructure, such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing systems.

Additional operating rooms will enable health care teams to extend operating room hours and increase the number of surgeries performed.

VGH serves as a tertiary care facility, offering extensive acute and specialised care to patients from the Lower Mainland and across the province.

It provides specialised provincial programmes in areas such as spinal-cord injury, solid organ transplant, trauma, burns, neurosurgery, as well as robotic and complex general surgery.