“Home” will soon look much more inviting for visiting medical students and locum physicians at Penticton Regional Hospital.
A new factory-built modular student housing facility was placed on site Saturday, Feb. 28 near the hospital’s psychiatric unit.
The fully-furnished, single-storey residence will be known as the Lloyd and Lota Jobling House in honour of the Penticton residents who donated more than $500,000 from their estate to the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation for the project. Lloyd Jobling, predeceased by his wife Lota, passed away in July 2010.
Half the structure, manufactured by Chaparral Industries of Kelowna, was delivered Thursday and the other half Saturday.
Janice Perrino, the Foundation’s executive-director, said the Jobling House will replace an aging trailer near the PRH parking lot entrance off Government Street, which was previously used as a residence for medical students for almost 30 years. Prior to that, the portable building served as a daycare.
“There was a need for this facility because we wanted resident doctors, nurses, or anyone who was coming here for a period of time, to have a proper place to stay,” she said.
Perrino said when students come to Penticton, get settled in at the residence and discover the South Okanagan-Similkameen lifestyle, they’re more likely to stay here. Students will be required to pay a nominal fee to cover the costs of cleaning and maintenance.
“They’re more likely to stay or even go on to some of the smaller communities, so it’s a win-win for everybody. That’s why we felt it was so important to do it,” she said.
“What we’re getting now is, in fact, a home. We’ll be able to maintain it for years and years to come, all because of the Jobling family.”
The residence will include six bedrooms, kitchen facilities and a lounge. A small shed for bicycles and other items will also be included. The residence should be ready for occupancy in April.