Dr Chris Mair, of Creich Surgery, Bonar Bridge, performed the honours to mark the start of work on the new hospital, which will provide inpatient and some outpatient services.
It is being built at Cherry Grove in the centre of the village, close to the Bradbury Centre - a day centre for older people - and Creich Surgery.
Robertson Highland began work on the access road and the drainage associated with the development last month.
They have now started work on construction phase of the project and it is hoped that the new facility will be fully operational in April 2011.
Dr Mair said: “I was very pleased to be asked to cut the first turf for this important project.
“This is a super opportunity for the area and a wonderful culmination of everyone’s efforts. It will mean that the hospital will be able to start providing improved services nearer to people’s homes.”
Raymond More, Managing Director, Robertson Highland said: “We are thrilled to be part of this ceremony that marks the official start to the construction phase of this exciting project.”
Inpatient facilities at the new hospital will be divided into two units – one for older people with mental health needs and the other providing GP-led beds, offering a range of in-patient services, including palliative care, general medicine and less intensive rehabilitation services.
All the bedrooms will be single occupancy, with en-suite toilets and showers, and the internal layout has been designed so two of them can be used by either unit to provide flexibility.
The new hospital forms part of NHS Highland’s programme of service improvement and change, called “Changing for the Better”, which includes providing safe, quality care for patients as close to their homes as possible.
