Province announces plans for new cancer centre in Nanaimo
The British Columbia government says central Vancouver Island residents are one step closer to having cancer treatment options available locally after a concept plan was approved for a new cancer centre in Nanaimo.
B.C. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the approval Friday, saying a business plan is now in the works to determine the project's size and budget.
Cancer patients on Vancouver Island are currently required to travel to Victoria or B.C.'s Lower Mainland for radiation therapy. Dix says the new centre will treat 1,600 of those radiation therapy patients annually once fully operational.
"Getting a cancer diagnosis can be some of the most difficult news someone gets in their life," Eby said. "We must ensure people in B.C. can get access to the care they need when they need it. That is why Nanaimo will soon be home to a new cancer care centre. This will bring the latest life-saving technology closer to the people of Nanaimo, as well as residents of the Central and North Island."
The province says the new centre at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital will offer radiation therapy, an outpatient ambulatory care unit and a new tomography imaging machine. It will also house a new radiation-treatment space with four shielded treatment rooms.
"This new cancer centre will provide services people can rely on with the latest technology so a cancer-free future can be the reality for more people in B.C.," Dix said.
"Nanaimo is a rapidly growing community, so it's important that we continue to meet the demand for health-care services as it evolves. The centre will be crucial in our approach of achieving sustainable cancer care, provincewide."
While the project budget has yet to be determined, Dix said cancer centres of this size typically cost between $200 and $300 million.
The announcement comes one day after the health minister visited Kamloops to announce the province would build a new cancer care centre in that city. The new centre at the Royal Inland Hospital will include radiation therapy, meaning patients will no longer have to travel the roughly two-hour trip south to Kelowna for the treatment, Dix said.
Earlier this month, the health minister announced that up to 50 cancer patients from B.C. will be referred to clinics in Washington state every week in an effort to reduce wait times for radiation therapy.
Cancer care in Nanaimo is currently delivered through the community oncology network clinic at the hospital. The province says the existing oncology clinic will be renovated and expanded to increase the number of treatment spaces and exam rooms as part of the approved plan.
There are also community oncology network cancer services available at the North Island Hospital campuses in Courtenay and Campbell River, as well as at the Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan.
The new centres are part of the province's 10-year cancer action plan to prevent, detect and treat existing cancers, while preparing for anticipated growth in demand for the treatments in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.