First of its kind ultrasound clinic opening on Vancouver Island
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix was at Camosun College on Thursday to unveil a new ultrasound clinic that's designed to fast-track specialized care for thousands.
The new ultrasound clinic officially opens at Camosun College's Interurban Campus in Saanich, B.C., next month.
It includes four ultrasound rooms where the public will be diagnosed and where students can train.
"[It's] killing two birds with one stone. We're helping our patients get better and quicker access to care and we're educating the newest generation of diagnostic medical sonographers right here on Vancouver Island," said Camosun College instructor Kendal Adam.
The outpatient clinic is the first of its kind in Canada, and is equipped with tools that will help monitor fetuses and diagnose a range of medical conditions, including cancer and heart disease.
The opening of the $1.2-million facility was unveiled to applause on Thursday. But some local leaders are still concerned about the state of healthcare in the region.
CALLS FOR ACCELERATED HELP
Former Colwood, B.C., mayor Dave Saunders has started a grassroots group to address the health-care crisis, and he says municipalities can play a much larger role.
"By relying on the higher levels of government are we being facilitated with the level of care that we need?" he said. "I can say clearly as a former mayor, no, we aren't."
He hosted a meeting Thursday night to lay out his vision for tackling the doctor shortage, which includes incentivizing developers to build clinics and homes that attract and retain health-care workers.
"[Developers] come in with a large proposal, we're able to say we need spaces for doctors and nurses – clinic space and affordable housing for doctors and nurses that are just starting out," he proposed.
On Thursday, Dix said he agreed that municipalities will need to help with the health-care crisis, especially with B.C.'s aging population.
"We have to work with municipal governments to make sure that there's access to available land for long-term care, for assisted living, for senior living, for adult day programs – frequently [that comes from] a municipal base," said Dix.
The new ultrasound clinic will open at Camosun on Feb. 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deceased found in St. Lawrence River were trying to cross U.S. border: police
The six people whose bodies were recovered from the St. Lawrence River Thursday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.

Ottawa gives final approval for Rogers $26B purchase of Shaw
Rogers Communications Inc's $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. cleared the last regulatory hurdle Friday, more than two years after the deal was first announced.
Donald Trump indicted; 1st ex-president charged with crime
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year.
These are the conditions -- and penalties if violated -- of the Rogers-Shaw deal
Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has approved Rogers Communications Inc.'s $20-billion takeover of rival telecom Shaw Communications Inc., but there are conditions attached and penalties of up to $1 billion if the companies violate them.
Syphilis cases in babies skyrocket in Canada amid health-care failures
The numbers of babies born with syphilis in Canada are rising at a far faster rate than recorded in the United States or Europe, an increase public health experts said is driven by increased methamphetamine use and lack of access to the public health system for Indigenous people.
BREAKING | Oscar Pistorius denied parole as Reeva Steenkamp's parents oppose his early release
Disgraced South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been denied parole, the lawyer for Reeva Steenkamp's parents said after the parole hearing.
House abandoned by couple who 'disappeared' years ago nightmare for neighbour on upscale street
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole not seeking re-election, leaving this spring
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole says he will not seek re-election and plans to resign his seat this spring. The Ontario MP led the Conservatives and served as official Opposition leader from August 2020 until February 2022, when a majority of his caucus voted to remove him from the post.
Trump's indictment in New York: Here's what to know
The vote of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the Republican former president on charges related to hush money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign catapults the now-candidate Donald Trump into a new era of legal risk and complicates his attempts to return to the White House.