Canmore hospital maternity ward to double in size

Thanks to a private donation from a community family, the Canmore hospital is doubling the number of its maternity delivery rooms from two to four.

"You don't want to wait until you have a problem and then react," said Dr. GertDu Plessis with the Three Sisters Obstetrics and Family Medicine Clinic in Canmore. "It's always better to plan ahead."

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The maternity ward services the Bow Valley and communities as far away as Cochrane. Last year, 358 babies were born there.

Du Plessissays the maternity ward has never had to turn anyone away, but they've sometimes outfitted other hospital rooms to handle deliveries.

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"With two extra rooms we hopefully will be able to get people staying in the same room until they go home," he said.

Medical staff hope the rooms will be ready to use by fall.