The provincial government’s announcement on Friday, Feb. 24, of its 10-year cancer care action plan does not include any imminent goal of honouring a BC NDP 2020 election campaign promise to build a complete cancer care centre in Kamloops.
While the action plan includes “expanding access to radiation therapy” as part of the document’s three-year, $270-million phase and adding cancer care centres in B.C., there is no mention specifically of Kamloops.
KTW contacted the Ministry of Health to ask if radiation treatment will be added to the cancer care centre at RIH.
“A new cancer centre for Kamloops is currently in the concept planning phase,” a ministry spokesperson responded. “The work is underway and we look forward to sharing more details around timelines and services as the work progresses. We are committed to continuing to improve health care for people in Kamloops, including providing more cancer care services closer to home.”
In October 2020, just days before the provincial election, then-premier John Horgan spoke in Kamloops and promised a full cancer care centre (with radiation treatment) in Kamloops within four years if his party was elected that month.
“The services will be prepared and delivered within the mandate of the next government, absolutely,” Horgan said at the October 2020 campaign stop in Kamloops.
On Oct. 24, 2020, the NDP was elected with a decisive majority.
However, in June 2021, Horgan’s government came under fire from local Opposition MLAs Todd Stone and Peter Milobar, who called the centre’s timeline into question. The province later confirmed, in October 2021, that the centre had been folded into B.C.’s general 10-year cancer care plan.
Right now, the cancer care centre at Royal Inland Hospital includes other aspects of treatment, including chemotherapy, but does not include radiation therapy. Those needing radiation therapy must travel two hours to Kelowna for treatment, which is often only minutes long, then travel two hours back to Kamloops.
