By Chad Ingram

Published Oct. 25 2016

Haliburton Highlands Health Services has finally received final approval from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to proceed with an expansion of its palliative care facility at the HHHS facility in Haliburton Village.

Ministry approval for the 1600-square-foot addition which will include two suites a kitchen area a sitting room and a shared washroom has taken more than two years to obtain.

According to a release from HHHS this latest approval gives the organization permission to proceed with awarding the contract for the construction of the project. Once a contract has been negotiated a start date and expected completion date will be announced.

Previously a fall start and spring completion had been anticipated.

“The expansion will allow HHHS to provide this much-needed service to more people in the community and it will help enhance the present palliative care and hospice programs at HHHS” president and CEO Carolyn Plummer said in the release.

The budget for the expansion is an estimated $1.1 million about $925000 of which has been raised so far by the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation through its Making Moments Matter campaign.

More fundraising will be done for the project.

“We sincerely thank all the donors and we look forward to the continued generous support” said foundation board chairman Peter Oyler.