The unit is expanding from 25 beds up to 28, thanks to funding from the province and Hospitals of Regina Foundation. The new beds are expected to be available to patients in early September. (980 CJME file photo)

Regina General Hospital adding three beds to neonatal ICU

By CJME News Aug 31, 2026 | 10:28 AM

The neonatal intensive care unit at the Regina General Hospital is expanding.

The unit is adding three more beds, taking it from 25 to 28, thanks to funding from the Government of Saskatchewan and the Hospitals of Regina Foundation. The new beds are expected to be available to patients in early September.

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“The new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit beds at the Regina General Hospital are an important step to putting patients first by ensuring premature and seriously ill newborns have access to high-quality and specialized care in the right place and at the right time,” Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s health minister, said in a statement.

“I would like to thank the Hospitals of Regina Foundation and their donors for their ongoing generosity to supporting better outcomes for patients and their families for years to come.”

An example of a neonatal intensive care unit bassinet. (Geoff Smith/980 CJME)

Cockrill said he’s not concerned about filling the positions associated with the new beds.

“We recognize there’s increased demand. We’ve put that funding in place to make sure that there’s staff available. I’m quite confident in the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s ability to fill those positions,” he said.

He added there’s always more that can be done to meet the demand.

“There’s pressures across the system,” he said. “We have to be strategic about where we make incremental investments in future years. But certainly, we will continue considering further expansion here, but also at our other two sites as well.”

The provincial government said it earmarked $8.32 million to enhance pediatric and neonatal care in the most recent provincial budget, a figure which includes $2 million to support the staffing required for the expansion in Regina. The Hospitals of Regina Foundation, meanwhile, contributed $800,000 for specialized equipment and technology.

“Pediatric care is and will remain the top priority for the Foundation,” Dino Sophocleous, the foundation’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

“Our caring community’s support allows us to fund the technology and equipment our talented medical teams need to provide extraordinary pediatric and maternal care in Regina, and specifically to save the lives of our tiniest patients and create brighter futures for families in southern Saskatchewan.”

Sophocleous said when NICUs reach their capacity, young patients often have to be transferred to one of the other units.

“When our NICU in Regina is full, babies from Southern Saskatchewan are sent for care, usually to Saskatoon,” he said. “So the additional beds for our NICU that Minister Cockrill announced this morning will ease the pressure and keep more of these fragile babies right here, close to home.”

Derek Miller, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s chief operating officer, said every moment matters when a newborn requires special care.

“This expansion of NICU resources at Regina General Hospital strengthens support for babies and families when they need it most,” Miller said.

“We are deeply grateful to the Government of Saskatchewan and Hospitals of Regina Foundation for their partnership in helping us enhance care for Saskatchewan families.”