A new acute stroke unit is set to open up in Winnipeg. 

Starting next week, stroke survivors in Manitoba will have access to specialized care and intensive rehabilitation tailored to individual needs at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre.

“The opening of the new stroke unit at HSC will meet that expectation, providing Manitoba stroke patients with treatment, management and rehabilitation beginning in the days immediately following a stroke, highly specialized care that will help them in their recovery journey and improve quality of life,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara.

The new unit will be located on the fourth and fifth floors of 735 Notre Dame, which was once known as the Women's Pavillion.

The building has since been completely renovated and will open Monday with 12 beds. Additional nursing staff are expected to be hired in the next three to four months to bring the unit’s capacity to 28 beds.

The centralized unit is approximately 18,400 sq.ft. in size and includes modern single-bed rooms with ample space for loved ones, an occupational therapy kitchen that helps assess a patient’s ability to determine how well they will be able to move around in a home setting once discharged, and a gym space where patients work with physiotherapists – often within hours of experiencing a stroke.

“The new acute stroke unit at HSC will provide patients with care from stroke neurologists, physiatrists, nurses and rehabilitation specialists that will provide the full range of therapies for stroke patients to prevent further health complications, reduce the chances of a second stroke occurring, and maximizing their recovery,” said Dr. Esseddeeg Ghrooda, stroke neurologist, HSC Winnipeg. “Our team is very pleased that patients will soon have access to this enhanced level of stroke care.”

Approximately 3,500 strokes occur in Manitoba each year.