Kamloops: Health Minister Adrian Dix said people in Kamloops and throughout the Thompson-Cariboo region are one step closer to having a new cancer centre at the Royal Inland Hospital.
He said when open, the new centre will help make the B.C. cancer-care system stronger and better equipped to deal with the demand from a growing and aging population by adding expanded cancer treatment facilities and oncology services.
The province said in a press release that concept planning, which has been completed, is a key part of the capital management and funding process that takes into account the need for investment, including identifying specific needs and how a project can support service-delivery requirements to ensure the specific needs of the community are addressed.
According to the B.C. government, business planning for the new cancer-care centre is now underway to determine the project scope, schedule and budget. The new centre is expected to provide space for patient arrival and check-in; radiation treatment, including three shielded treatment rooms, known as bunkers; three high-energy radiation treatment linear accelerators; radiation therapy planning; one CT simulator; one MRI scanner; an outpatient oncology ambulatory care unit, including 10 exam rooms and two consulting rooms; and staff support, including offices and workstations.
“Today’s announcement of the concept plan approval for the new cancer care centre demonstrates our government’s commitment to deliver world-class cancer care closer to home for residents in Kamloops,” said Adrian Dix.
“The new cancer centre will deliver access to modern, high-quality comprehensive cancer-care services for patients in their fast-growing community where it is needed,” he added.