The Royal Columbian Hospital has a new Emergency Department, main entrance, medical/surgical and critical care patient units and parking facilities as of Sunday morning.

The tower has 388 patient beds and provides essential care to patients around the province, said Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma.

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The new Emergency Department and main entrance are located at the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower at the corner of East Columbia Street and Sherbrooke Street.

The new Emergency Department opened this morning at 5 a.m. The old Emergency Department closed at the same time.

The new main entrance at the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower opened 7 a.m. while the old main entrance and drop-off area will remain open.

Parking is now available outside on the ground level and level P1 of the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower parkade. Enter the parkade from Sherbrooke Street or Keary Street. There is also a drop-off area outside the new main entrance.

“In the fall, we will open the obstetrics unit, operating rooms, intervention, radiology and cardiology suites, and a cardiac surgery intensive care unit as well,” said Ma.