Jewish General expanding

The Jewish General Hospital is building a new centre for cancer research and treatment.

In the fall, the Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital will begin construction of six new floors, which will be added to one of the hospital's existing pavilions.

The project is expected to take 2½ years to complete.

Three of the floors will be devoted to clinical care programs, while the rest will be used to house research laboratories.

The project will allow doctors and scientists with different specialities to work together, says Dr. Gerald Batist, who is heading up the research section.

"We can move, for example, the lung cancer doctors who are in another building in with us. And the gynecologic oncologists in with us so that we are truly a comprehensive cancer centre and everyone is together," Batist explains. "Another will house world-class scientists."

In fact, some of those scientists were recently recruited thanks to the new centre, Batist says.

The project will cost $53 million, and Quebec's Health minister says the province is contributing $24 million.

Philippe Couillard says Quebec is also giving money to the hospital to buy 12 new dialysis machines over the next four years.

Currently, the department has 15 permanent dialysis stations with three overflow stations.

"Because we know that the rate of increase for this type of treatment is great all across Quebec and certainly here," Couillard says.

The new machines will allow the Jewish General to provide dyalisis treatment to 172 patients. It currently treats 100 people.