A couple of local mental health advocates are welcoming the completion of construction on the new Mental Health and Addictions facility.
Lawyer Mark Gruchy calls the replacement of the Victorian-era Waterford Hospital a major human rights achievement.
He says the Waterford Hospital, built in 1855, is one of the oldest hospitals left in the country and long due to be replaced.
Last week, the provincial government offered reporters tours of the new facility next to the Health Sciences on the Parkway, as construction wraps up.
Gruchy believes the significance of the milestone can’t be overstated.
It has been “a very, very, very long time coming,” says Gruchy, “I’d hazard a guess that people have been trying to replace the Waterford Hospital with something sensible for four decades or more.”
Kristi Allan has been calling for improved mental health supports for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for years.
“I think it really contributes to mental wellness. I think that it’s harder to get well in an old, run-down facility as this new hospital creates an environment where it improves your mental wellness.”