26 working days are left for the crew challenged to construct and renovate the Kelvington Integrated Healthcare Facility.

Project Manager Ron Diller gave us an update on the project Wednesday afternoon.

"It's going extremely well, we will turn the facility over to the health region May 1st at which time they will then do their furnishings and equipment and orientate their to the facility with the intention to open it to the general public on June 1st."

Once completed, the existing Kelvindell Lodge will include primary, acute and emergency services. The new facility will replace the Kelvington Hospital and offer 45 long-term care beds, seven acute care beds and seven multi-purpose patient rooms for primary care.

"It needed to be updated," Diller said of the aging facility. "We needed to make it more of a home atmosphere with the long term care residents. More privacy in the bathrooms plus the installation of a lift system that greatly reduces back and shoulder injuries to those people that care for the residents."

Diller and his crew began working on the site in November of 2015 with an 18 month window to complete the work led by Humboldt Lumbermart.

He says the vibe in the east-central Saskatchewan community is starting to elevate.

"Very positive, very excited. Looking forward to seeing the new facility, looking forward to being able to utilize the new hospital and have the doctors clinic right here at the same spot so they can get all the doctor work done. They can get their x-rays, their lab done without ever having to leave the facility so I think they are looking forward to it."

The provincial government contributed $12 million toward the project, which represents 80 per cent of total project costs. The Kelsey Trail Health Region and community funded the rest.

You can hear more from Diller in his interview with Bolt FM's Andy Cohen below.