NEW NAME FOR PROVINCIAL LABORATORY

Released on October 19, 2006

Health Minister Len Taylor today announced the name for the provincial laboratory, making a new provincial public health laboratory in Saskatchewan one step closer to reality.

The Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory will be located at Regina Research Park, adjacent to the University of Regina.

"The new name better reflects the unique and enhanced work done by the laboratory," Taylor said. "A new and improved laboratory will reflect Saskatchewan's position as a health care leader, ensuring a health system that can even better identify, respond to and prevent illness and disease in our province, making life better for families."

The new $36.5 million lab will meet Saskatchewan's future needs by improving testing capability and speeding up intervention in the event of a public health crisis such as SARS or an influenza pandemic.

The enhanced provincial laboratory will include services such as anticipating, detecting and responding to outbreaks of communicable diseases, food-borne illnesses and pandemic threats; testing and monitoring environmental health and providing bio safety, containment, biohazard spill response programs.

Saskatchewan has had a provincial lab since 1905.

Construction of the facility will start in early 2007 with a completion date of April 2008.

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For More Information, Contact:

Joan Petrie Health Regina Phone: (306) 787-4083 Email: jpetrie@health.gov.sk.ca