Alberta’s newly tabled budget promises $59 million over three years to advance cardiac services and intensive care capacity.

If passed, the investment will add a new catheterization lab in Lethbridge and expand intensive care and diagnostic capacity at Chinook Regional Hospital and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. The funding will bring shorter wait times and better outcomes for families across southern Alberta.

Subject to final design and construction, up to 54 intensive care beds are anticipated at Chinook Regional Hospital and 18 at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. The cardiac catheterization lab in Lethbridge is expected to serve approximately 1,500 to 1,700 patients annually once fully operational. Currently, more than 1,300 patients are transferred out of southern Alberta to Calgary to receive cardiac services.

“Lethbridge and Medicine Hat play a vital role as regional centres supporting rural and remote communities across the South Zone,” said Justin Wright, parliamentary secretary for rural health (south). “Investing in cardiac and intensive care capacity at these sites strengthens regional infrastructure and helps ensure the broader health system remains stable and sustainable.”