TRURO - From the third floor down to the first, many of the comments were the same on Saturday - the new Colchester East Hants Health Centre is beautiful.
That's how several of the visitors at the afternoon public tour described the $184.5-million, 368,000 square foot facility.
"It was amazing," said 11-year-old Daniel Loughead, who participated in the public tour with his father, Paul, and brother, Robert, 14.
"It's a huge step up from the old one. It's definitely more than I expected."
Last weekend, about 1,500 people walked through the facility with at least another 1,000 doing so in the first hour of this weekend's public tour.
"I wanted to get a feel for the place in case I need to use it," said Paul about why he wanted to bring his sons to tour the facility. "I have two boys, so I'm sure I'll need to be here. It's nice, bright and open."
Starting on the third floor, visitors took a look at specialized units, including palliative care, before taking the stairs or elevators down to the second floord.
Once there, tours through the women and children's health unit, day and surgical units, as well as intensive care were enjoyed before heading into the prayer room and renal dialysis.
On the first floor, the tour went through the psychiatric unit, which has the capacity for up to 20 beds.
The emergency room followed close behind, where visitors learned there are 27 individual rooms of which 17 will open on Nov. 26, the day after the move week concludes. People were also reminded the emergency department is 50 per cent larger than the current site at the Colchester Regional Hospital.
"The centre is beautiful," said Mary Barron, who travelled from New Glasgow with her husband, Allen, to tour the facility.
"It's nice and spacious and the new technology is wonderful. What else can you say?" she said.
Visitors also got to take a peek at the chemotherapy, medical day unit, ambulatory care and cardio respiratory services units before the tour ended.
"It's very well laid out," said Allen. The couple's daughter, he said, will be working at the facility and had encouraged the couple to participate in the tour.
The move from the current hospital on Willow Street will begin on Nov. 19 and runs throughout that week. The patient move is scheduled for Nov. 25 and is expected to see about 100 patients relocated to the new hospital in the final day. The new centre will then open to the public the following day.
rtetanish@trurodaily.com
