Dr. Lalita Malhotra cuts the ribbon on the new NICU at Victoria Hospital that bears her and her husband's names. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

New NICU Unveiled

New NICU named for “Angel of the North” unveiled at Victoria Hospital

Sep 9, 2022 | 12:10 PM

In the midst of what has been a dark time for the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the entire province, today there was a bright light shining at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.

Today, the hospital officially unveiled the Drs. Tilak and Lalita Malhotra NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). It will be around ten times the size of the original NICU at Victoria Hospital, expanding from about 400 square feet to 4000.

“It’s very emotional, number one,” Dr. Lalita Malhotra said. “Secondly, when you see that your community is behind you, that’s the only way you achieve something. For four decades we have worked, my husband and I, as a team. That has been very rewarding.”

The day began with prayers in Cree and Dene, an honour song, and speeches from Cody Barnett, executive director of the Victoria Hospital Foundation, Health Minister Paul Merriman, and SHA CEO Andrew Will. Merriman met Dr. Malhotra for the first time at the ceremony.

“What an amazing woman, amazing story of her and her family,” Merriman said. “She’s very focused, very driven, now retired after 45 years and looking at other opportunities, not stopping but just changing her focus to see how she can give back to the community in different ways.”

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Amazing is one way to describe Dr. Malhotra, but her patients found another: she has been termed Angel of the North. That moniker comes after 45 years and delivering more than 13,000 babies. In a speech before the unveiling of the NICU, Malhotra opened up about how much her patients had meant to her.

“I have learned from my patients and healed from my patients,” Dr. Malhotra said. “Every celebration, every trauma in my life I have shared with my patients. We have laughed together and cried together for 45 years.”

As for the facility itself, the NICU will have the latest technology, including isolation rooms and a room capable of accommodating twins. There will be 30 new employees, some of whose jobs have never existed in Victoria Hospital like a pediatric pharmacist.

One of the new rooms at Victoria Hospitals’ new NICU. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

“There are now 11 units in there,” said Merriman. “It’s focused not just on the child, it’s focused on the family as well to make sure that caregivers can be there with their family members when they’re having a challenging time with the little ones.”

The new NICU is not just to serve the people of Prince Albert but people from northern communities as well, some of whom had to travel tremendous distances to get the care they needed.

“Prince Albert is the gateway to the north,” Merriman said. “Whatever challenges there are in the northern communities come down through Prince Albert. There are lots of transfers that have been to Regina, to Saskatoon, and sometimes to Edmonton, depending on the case.”

Dr. Malhotra added she had found her home in Prince Albert and she was looking forward to helping the community in other ways.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP