Construction of temporary healthcare facility complete  

Field hospital to add capacity to treat COVID-19 cases if required

CALGARY – Construction of a field hospital at the Peter Lougheed Centre has been completed and is now available should additional hospital capacity be needed to meet increasing demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 766-sq.-metre (8,250-sq. ft.) project, officially called a Sprung Pandemic Response facility, took under three weeks to erect and equip just outside of the northeast hospital.

“We have seen countless examples from across the province of teams and individuals that have worked together and supported one another in ways both big and small to help in the fight against COVID-19,” says Minister of Health Tyler Shandro. “This project is another example.”

If additional hospital capacity is needed, Alberta Health Services (AHS) will open the site, which will act as a temporary emergency department to accommodate patients with confirmed, possible or probable cases of COVID-19. The temporary structure has 67 patient care spaces and support space for staff and physicians.

“Currently AHS is able to meet patient demands within existing facilities in the Calgary Zone due to strong planning and actions taken to build hospital capacity,” says Dr. Verna Yiu, AHS President and CEO. “This initiative was undertaken to ensure we have capacity in the Calgary Zone in the event we see a spike in COVID-19 cases that require hospitalization. I’d like to thank Sprung Structures for its generous donation that will help AHS respond to this public health emergency.”

As of yesterday, there were 3,217 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Calgary Zone; 60 are in hospital, including 13 in intensive care.

The temporary building was donated by Alberta company Sprung Structures. “We are thrilled and honoured to be able to give back to this great province that has treated us so well for over 133 years, at a time when we need it the most,” says Phil Sprung, President, Sprung Structures.

Falkbuilt Technologies, CANA Construction, Botting, Acutech Electric, WestJet and Stantec were also involved in the construction of the field hospital, and the project was supported by the Government of Alberta, Alberta Health, the City of Calgary and various teams throughout AHS.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.