News of the arrival of a newborn in the community of Williams Lake will be an exciting time that everyone can be a part of in the very near future.
Once the redevelopment of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital is complete a new feature will be added to announce this joyous occasion.
The new Maternity Unit will have a button in each room that families can push to activate coloured lights and a chime to announce the child’s birth.
“After the baby is born, a dad, a partner, a sibling, can push that button sounding the chime throughout the entire building,” Lisa Ryll, Manager, Clinical Operations, said. “Or they can push the button for a certain colour that will light up the stairwell and every unit to let us all know the good tiding. It can be blue or pink or any other colour they like.”
Interior Health said the lights will be able to be seen inside the new expansion at every nursing care team station and the community will be able to see the lights lit up on the external stairwells of the hospital.
“Having the chimes sound makes everyone pause and reflect that a new life is born.” Tina Pole Clinical Operations Manager for the Maternity Unit said, “Also I think it reminds everyone that hospitals are not just about sickness and dying, they are also a place where really positive things happen and the birth of a new baby is one of those.”
The new Maternity Unit will include four single room maternity care rooms where expectant moms will labour, deliver, receive post-partum care and be discharged from.
Interior Health said more than 260 babies are born every year on average at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.
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