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By Victor Kaisar

Cancer Centre Concerns

Hospital board to share Kamloops cancer care centre concerns with new B.C. health minister

Dec 13, 2024 | 11:10 AM

KAMLOOPS — The chair of the Thompson Regional Hospital District (TRHD) will be reaching out to B.C.’s new health minister, Josie Osborne, to share concerns about the Kamloops cancer care centre.

Speaking during Thursday’s (Dec. 12) TRHD meeting, Mike O’Reilly says he has heard from doctors who are concerned about how the facility will be operated and how it will serve people in the Kamloops area.

“There were some things that were discussed publicly [this week] and there are concerns to me,” O’Reilly said.

As it stands, the plan is for the radiation department to be located in the new five-story facility that will rise on the Westlands site at Royal Inland Hospital, while the chemotherapy department and the pharmacy will remain in the existing hospital building, albeit in a new location.

A site plan for RIH with the new Kamloops cancer care centre. (Image Credit: BC Government)

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The hospital board is in favour of both departments being located under one roof, though that idea was shot down by former Health Minister Adrian Dix in September.

Dix said the current plan is the “most efficient and cost-effective way” to ensure the cancer centre is built as quickly as possible, suggesting any change in the design could push the completion date to as late as 2032.

“I will be sending a letter to Minster Osborne to discuss these very real concerns,” O’Reilly said. “We look forward to working with the new minister but also to address some of the things that have been brought up. It’s not something new. They’ve been brought up by professionals in the past.”

“Having a new health minister in place with a fresh set of eyes and a new lens looking at the TRHD and who we serve as frankly, [we’re] the only tertiary hospital in British Columbia without a full-fledged cancer centre.”

Facility still on schedule for 2028 opening

As it stands, the $359-million Kamloops cancer care centre is set be complete in 2028, with construction expected to get underway next year.

Renovation work to existing cancer care facilities in Kamloops is also expected to get underway in 2026 and be “substantially” complete by 2029.

“Things are still moving on the procurement side,” Todd Mastel, Interior Health’s corporate director of business operations, said at the meeting. “The design build for the new construction will be a fixed-price contract and it’ll be construction management contract for the work that takes place within Royal Inland Hospital.”

There are two builders — EllisDon Corporation and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. — who are working on their vision for the new facility, which will also include a 470-stall parkade.

“We’re looking for final selection in May 2025 and shovels in the ground by summer of 2025,” Mastel added.

Mastel also said Interior Health will keep the hospital district board updated on how the project is progressing, after issues about a lack of communication were raised in the past.

“Last July, there was a refresh done to make sure we’re proceeding with the design work to see if the there is any change on the estimates,” Mastel said. “The estimates came back within our $359-million budget.”

“That work will have to happen again as we get close to that May 2025 selection date… [and] we will definitely keep the board updated on how things are progressing.”