Longtime advocate Patel ‘excited’ RIH coronary care unit will reopen next year

The health authority says integrating the service into the ICU will allow more patients to receive specialized cardiac care that is much closer to home. For longtime cardiac advocate Al Patel, it’s a milestone that’s been years in the making.

“I’m very excited to hear from Interior Health that the ICCHA-Wish cardiac care unit is being reopened in the early [20]27. I’m very happy that it’s being now rejuvenated for better care and I’m very happy that the government is listening to us, our community, that they’re improving cardiac care.” Patel told CFJC Today.

Patel founded the ICCHA-Wish Foundation nearly two decades ago, helping raise more than a million dollars toward expanded cardiac services while pushing governments to improve care in Kamloops. He says restoring coronary care is an important step, but patients still have to leave the city for procedures like cardiac catheterization after they’re stabilized.

“First of all, the nurses have to be in place. They haven’t been in place since the pandemic and that’s a shame. I’m so happy that they’re doing that… they’re listening, but they have to listen harder. The harder part is bring[ing] the procedure room immediately, and then very quickly we need to know when will the catheterization lab be here.” said Patel.

Patel says re-opening dedicated coronary care beds mark meaningful progress after years without the service present in the tournament capital, but he hopes it’s only the beginning of a broader expansion of cardiac care at Royal-Inland-Hospital… one that eventually allows more heart patients to receive advanced treatment in Kamloops instead of being transferred to elsewhere.

by Jeremy Russo

Longtime advocate Patel ‘excited’ RIH coronary care unit will reopen next year

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