Pontiac Community Hospital unveils oncology unit expansion

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Nikki Buechler

SHAWVILLE – At a press conference on May 19, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) unveiled the completed expansion of the oncology unit at the Pontiac Community Hospital. The renovation was made possible by a donation of nearly $30,000 from the Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation (PCHF), a charitable group that fundraises for hospital improvements.

The expansion required removing a wall, replacing the floor, and painting the unit, which will allow the care team to work in a more spacious and better-adapted environment. It will also potentially allow more patients to be treated at the clinic, with room for two more treatment chairs in addition to the current seven.

The hospital is hoping to replace six chairs as part of an ongoing effort to modernize and improve the quality of services for people undergoing cancer treatment in the Pontiac. However, as each specialized treatment chair costs several thousand dollars, the PCHF is seeking donors who would like to sponsor a chair. At the press conference, one more was funded – their fourth – with Pontiac MNA André Fortin committing to pay for a chair.

Speaking on behalf of CISSSO, Nicole Boucher Larivière, Proximity Director of the RLS du Pontiac, praised Pontiac residents for their support of the local hospital.

“The Pontiac community takes their local health services to heart and we are very grateful!” she said.

Over the years, contributions to the PCHF have paid for many equipment purchases, such as dialysis equipment for the dialysis unit inaugurated in December 2018.