Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Michael Reeve

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Spending $75,000 for cancer centre ‘advocacy’ is a total waste

Nov 15, 2023 | 5:55 AM

GOVERNMENTS ARE GOOD at wasting money. We know that.

Take, for example, a Thompson Regional Hospital District decision to pay $75,000 to a Toronto consulting firm named Santis Health to work for 10 months on convincing ourselves that building a cancer centre is a good idea.

The contract kicks in next week for what’s called the Cancer Care Advocacy Campaign, the purpose of which is to raise awareness of the need for a cancer treatment centre at Royal Inland Hospital. It will, quote, “grow understanding of facts associated and community and regional benefits of a proposed Kamloops Cancer Centre.”

Strangely, it won’t be aimed directly at the provincial government. The target audience will be residents within the boundaries of the regional hospital district. The hope is that, armed with new awareness that a cancer centre is needed, they’ll write letters to MLAs and Adrian Dix or whatever.

The project will include public relations, newsletters, community engagement, a website, yadda yadda.

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So here’s a news flash. We already know a cancer centre is much needed in our region. We already know local patients in need of radiation treatments have to go to Kelowna to get them.

And get this. The province has already promised it will build one within four years. A concept plan is approved, and a business plan is supposed to be finished within the next few weeks. So, we’re going to spend $75,000 telling ourselves one is needed, when it’s already on the books for construction.

Amazing. And there’s more — the campaign might well be renewed for another 10 months. Presumably, for another $75,000.

Certainly, the NDP has dragged its feet for many years and staying on their case is a good idea. That’s the job of our MLAs — who are fully committed to doing that — and of the hospital district board. It shouldn’t cost a dime.

So, $75,000, or more, is going to be spent for…. basically nothing.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

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Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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.