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By Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Cancer care collapses on NDP’s watch

May 18, 2023 | 10:55 AM

IMAGINE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER — the fear, stress and uncertainty that goes along with that. Now imagine being forced to travel hours and cross the border for treatment without your loved ones and support system around you.

My heart breaks for anyone being put into this situation as B.C.’s cancer care system nears collapse. This week’s NDP announcement that some B.C. cancer patients will be sent to the United States for treatment is a stunning admission of the dire state of health care in this province.

Patients, health-care professionals and our BC United Caucus have been raising serious concerns about staffing shortages, emergency room closures, a lack of family doctors and the dramatic decline in outcomes for patients. Our questions to the government have repeatedly been dodged or downplayed, but this move to send cancer patients to another country for care just confirms the poor state of affairs we find ourselves in.

A cancer system that used to be recognized as one of the best in the world is now considered among the worst in the country. Wait times in B.C. for initiating radiation therapy within the crucial four-week window, considered the maximum acceptable wait time for patient care, have deteriorated year after year under the NDP. Only 77 per cent of B.C. patients start their radiation therapy within this clinical benchmark, in contrast to the 96 per cent national average in 2022. Additionally, only 20 per cent of cancer patients referred to an oncologist are seen within the recommended two weeks, compared to 75 per cent in Ontario.

It’s also worth noting that Health Minister Adrian Dix has not been fully transparent with the data. We obtained some of these figures from whistleblowers who came forward after we heard a different set of numbers presented by the minister. The whistleblowers’ data shows wait times for cancer care in B.C. are actually much worse than what we’ve been told.

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This NDP government has consistently failed to deliver on its cancer care commitments — like the Kamloops cancer centre it promised would be up and running by 2024, but still remains in concept planning. And rural communities remain in the dark about what the NDP’s latest announcement will mean to them. Which B.C. patients will receive care in Washington State? What will this program look like for those who lives hours away from their regional cancer centre? Will they be compensated for travel to and from that centre? The lack of clarity is only increasing people’s concern and anxiety.

While I’m certainly glad that B.C. cancer patients will be able to access more timely care in the U.S., it’s still alarming that it needs to happen in the first place. It’s also a bit ironic when you consider that the NDP failed to expedite the accreditation of foreign-trained doctors and nurses in our province and instead, they are now sending B.C. patients to these health-care professionals in other countries.

British Columbians should be able to access the medical care they need, when they need it, close to home — not at private clinics in the States. Premier Eby and his NDP government must step up and take action to increase capacity in our cancer care system. Patients trying to manage this difficult diagnosis cannot afford any more delays.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.