Health Minister Tyler Shandro. Photo: (Government of Alberta)

By Shane Clausing

$15 million laboratory upgrades

Province of Alberta providing $15 million in laboratory upgrades in Grande Prairie, northern Alberta

Jul 20, 2020 | 1:10 PM

The Province of Alberta announced on Monday that it will be providing $15 million to upgrade laboratory equipment throughout northern Alberta, including the Peace Region.

The money will be used to purchase new centrifuges, microscopes, analyzers, and other essential equipment needed throughout the province.

Newly purchased equipment will be used for blood and chemistry work, genetic and molecular testing and other medical and diagnostic services.

“With this money, Alberta Health Services will be able to modernize lab equipment in large hospitals in Edmonton, but also in small communities so that patients and families can get the support they need for their health and treatment journey,” said Minster of Health Tyler Shandro.

The $15 million given to labs on Monday is in addition to the a$30 million that the province provides annually to upgrade health care equipment across the province.

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$9 million of the $15 million will be spent to upgrade equipment in 2020-21 and $6 million will be spent in 2021-22

The process to get the new equipment into hospitals and labs will take place over the next two years.

In 2012, 37 million lab tests were conducted in the Edmonton, North and Central zones of AHS. The province expects that by 2025, 72 million tests will be conducted for people in the same areas because of population growth, increased demand for such tests and the increased types of tests available.