Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.

The 2026 provincial budget includes $22.1 million to enhance cardiac care at St. Boniface Hospital, a ministerial spokesperson said in advance of the budget's release Tuesday.

New Democrats promised during the 2023 election campaign that they would create a cardiac centre of excellence, saying the cardiac-care program faltered under the Progressive Conservative government.

Funding for the enhanced unit, called Heart Care Manitoba, will add 18 beds and create a cardiac assessment unit, the government said. The funding will also be used to place a cardiologist in the emergency room to provide quick consultations to patients experiencing chest pain and other symptoms.

Dr. Anita Soni, who leads cardiac sciences at St. Boniface, said rebuilding cardiac capacity is vital, with cardiovascular issues accounting for one-quarter of deaths in Manitoba.