Kootenay East Regional Hospital District board chair David Wilks is optimistic about future investment in local health care.
Wilks said he met with B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix to discuss the challenges the region is facing.
“He reiterated that there are priorities in the province in terms of radiation such as Prince George, Kamloops and Nanaimo, but he did not write out the opportunity for Cranbrook in the future,” said Wilks. “That tells me we can continue to move forward. He’s not saying no, he’s just saying there is a priority.”
Wilks said it presents a chance for the local hospital district to show that it is ready for its own cancer treatment facility.
“If we can provide a good case, and from the perspective of a new tower, if we can get a new bunker that can satisfy the BC Cancer Society on what they may need here, why wouldn’t we at least look at it and move forward with it if we could,” said Wilks.
There is also enthusiasm from outside funding sources.
“We have a number of groups that have indicated they would love to provide funding towards radiation treatment,” said Wilks. “There are groups who are willing to step forward, but they’re waiting to hear if we get it or not.”
Wilks said he hopes to find out what it would take to get a cancer treatment department in Cranbrook’s regional hospital.
“I have meetings planned with the Ministry (of Health) to see if we can at least have something in place that gives the board an understanding of what it would cost if we could get radiation here,” said Wilks. “We don’t even know the cost of the new tower from the perspective of oncology and renal. We’ve been given a ballpark, but we don’t know what the cost would be.”
This comes after the recent funding announcements that benefited the region, such as travel cost coverage for cancer patients and funding for the complete rebuild of Cranbrook’s F.W. Green home.
Wilks said he will continue advocating for improved health care for the region.
“The funding for the F.W. Green home helps, Hope Air helps but that doesn’t mean we stop. There’s lots of things that need to be done,” said Wilks. “Minister Dix knows that I’m a bit of a squeaky wheel, and that’s okay. I don’t mind being called that in terms of health care. There’s been great progress so far, but we’re not done yet.”