Alberta health minister shines light on DynaLIFE application process

As Alberta Health Services prepares to absorb DynaLIFE lab operations, just how much it will cost is up in the air.

Alberta’s Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange revealing Tuesday DynaLIFE was the only applicant left at the end of the government’s application process.

“By the the time the RFP was determined, there was only one company left, which was DynaLIFE and perhaps there should have been some discussion at that time to re-open the RFP,” she said at Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Hospital.

That’s requests of for proposals — the government’s competitive process which was used to fill it’s lab services contract.

In a statement, Alberta’s NDP slammed the provincial government, saying the lack of applicants should have been cause for re-consideration.

Read more: DynaLIFE out as Alberta’s lab services provider after long delays, wait times

“The owners of DynaLIFE were wanting to get out. So this is the best possible situation that could happen because now we are stabilizing the system.

The update came as the province revealed a new and improved emergency department to Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre.

The province says Calgarians in need of emergency services will experience faster wait times and modern medical care.

The renovations include more beds, new x-ray machines and bedside ultrasounds. They also bring an expanded mental health wing, updated lab services, as well as an emergency department expansion.

“This emergency department, as mentioned, is one of the busiest in the city,” said senior operating office Nicholas Thain. “These renovations will help ensure patients get the care they need in well-designed spaces.”

The $137 million project marks the completion of Lougheed’s first phase of improvements with further work planned until 2025.

The hospital’s ER is expected to double in size.

When it comes to DynaLIFE, LaGrange expects more information in the coming weeks.