By Chad Klassen

NDP government makes commitment to the $417 million patient care tower

Aug 28, 2017 | 5:23 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. health minister says the patient care tower is going ahead. 

Adrian Dix, who has been visiting wildfire-affected communities in the Interior, notes the $417 million building, which was announced by the Liberal government, will be built. 

“Clearly what’s needed in Kamloops, on top of a lot of other things, is a new patient care tower,” said Dix. “Fortunately, we’re on the path and we’re going ahead. My instruction is, if there’s anything I can do to make it happen quicker, I will.”

Dix says a request for qualification to build the tower is out and the government will shortlist companies in October. 

Question of the Week

Has there been any progress made in the overdose crisis since BC declared a public health emergency in 2016?

18h ago

Episode 6

1000 Ways to Heal: Inner Child

20h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: The changing face of business

Apr 14, 2024

“Frankly, it’s at the top of the priority list in that it’s going ahead. We’re going to have a shortlist of proponents shortly, and so you can’t be much higher than that. In my mind, it’s been needed for a long, long time. Too long,” noted Dix. 

Staff at Royal Inland Hospital are relieved the NDP is promising the tower. 

“It will bring a state-of-the-art facility with modern technology. It’ll also give us a spacious OR (operating room), which we desperately need,” said health service administrator Tracey Rannie. “It’ll also give us some parking stalls and some great in-patient unit, and that’s great for patients and families because they will be in a single room, so for infection control and also for families and patients to be together.”

During his visit, Dix also dealt with the other elephant in the room, and that is lack of family doctors. He met with the division of family practice. The shortage of physicians and long wait times at RIH are both issues that need fixing. 

“The patients that go to the emergency room at Royal Inland Hospita who need alternate care, who need better primary care, and I have said this many times, that wait times are too long in Kamloops. We need to upgrade Royal Inland Hospital. We need to improve primary care.”

Dix says the Liberals have done good work with the primary care facilities on the North Shore, but have failed in attracting more doctors. 

Looking ahead to another winter with people waiting outside walk-in clinics. Dix says the primary care crisis is his number one priority. 

“Obviously we need to find ways to relieve pressure on the emergency room, but more importantly, the purpose of good primary care is not to relieve pressure on an emergency room, although that is a good consequence of it. It’s to ensure people have the right family care.”

The NDP is currently reviewing the idea of an urgent care centre. As for the patient care tower, Dix says construction is set to begin next year with completion in 2022.