B.C. residents can once again access scheduled surgeries in Alberta.
The B.C. government announced a renewed partnership that took effect March 1.
“This partnership between our two provinces showcases how interconnected our communities are,” said Health Minister Josie Osborne.
“This is great news, especially for people living close to the Alberta border, who will now be able to access surgical care closer to home. We are grateful to our neighbours in Alberta and look forward to working together to strengthen health care access in our province.”
Kootenay East Regional Hospital District chair David Wilks said the announcement is great news for people in the Kootenays.
“It will give the opportunity for people who live in southeast British Columbia to access surgeries they would have had to go to Kelowna for and through their doctor they can now go to Alberta,” he said.
“It’s really welcome news and I’m very happy the health minister was able to get a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Alberta.”
Patients can speak with their primary care provider to learn more about having surgeries scheduled in Alberta.
The process requires an Alberta-based physician to accept patients for consultation and care as part of the referral process.
It is unclear whether the agreement covers radiation treatment for cancer.
“I’ve reached out to minister Osborne to clarify if radiation is part of that agreement,” said Wilks.
“She said she’d look into it, but didn’t think it was. That’s something we’ll need to look for to push for radiation treatment. The rest we can do in Cranbrook.”
A temporary restriction on scheduled surgeries for out-of-province patients was introduced in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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