Lethbridge City Council pleads province for cardiac catheterization lab

Mar 22, 2022 | 3:42 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is asking the provincial government to further develop cardiac services in the community.

At Tuesday’s regular meeting of city council, council voted unanimously to approve a motion that would see Mayor Blaine Hyggen write to the Government of Alberta, asking for the creation of a Cardiac Catheterization Lab (CCL) at Chinook Regional Hospital.

Currently, these services are only being provided in Calgary and Edmonton, meaning those living in the South Zone who are seeking heart-related treatment such as cardiac MRIs, ablations, angiograms, and angioplasties will need to make a trip out of town.

It also means a longer trip to hospital for those suffering from heart attacks, resulting in a higher risk of death.

Hyggen says the South Zone is “grossly underserved” when it comes to cardiac services.

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He adds that getting a CCL in Lethbridge would reduce the risk of severe complications for patients and mean far fewer air and ground-based ambulance trips to Calgary.

A bolstered cardiac program in Lethbridge would aim to improve care for clinical cardiology, cardiac arrhythmia care, and cardiac imaging.

Dr. Michael Auld spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting, outlining that there is available space at Chinook Regional Hospital already, so a CCL could be constructed quickly and at a lower cost.

Auld says cardiac treatment is often more time-sensitive than many other forms of medical treatment, so having a facility like this here would go a long way in improving patient care.

Last month, the provincial government announced a $1.8 billion expansion to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, which includes a CCL.

by David Opinko