KAMLOOPS, British Columbia – The British Columbia Government has approved the business plan for the BC Cancer Centre at the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) in Kamloops, British Columbia.
The project's budget is approximately $359 million and will be shared among the state government, Interior Health and Thompson Regional Hospital District.
“The approval of the business plan marks an important milestone for this important project. This state-of-the-art cancer centre will benefit patients in Kamloops and the surrounding area by providing peace of mind that we are building treatment capacity for today and the future,” B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement.
According to a release from the British Columbia government, the five-storey facility will be built on the Westland site of the RIH campus and will provide space for radiation therapy, radiation treatment planning including a CT simulator, an outpatient care unit with 10 examination rooms and two examination rooms for radiation therapy services.
The facility will also have an additional MRI suite, a patient arrival and check-in area, and three linear accelerator rooms that will house radiation equipment used to treat cancer patients. It will also have a sacred space for patients, caregivers and staff, with the ability to support traditional ceremonies in collaboration with Indigenous partners.
A new parking garage with capacity for 470 cars will also be constructed, and upgrades to RIH have also been approved to expand cancer care, including an updated and expanded pharmacy and the relocation and expansion of the Community Oncology Network clinic from the eighth floor to the main floor, according to the release.
“This is an exciting step in our efforts to bring new treatment options to the region. The new BC Cancer Centre in Kamloops will increase our ability to bring radiation therapy closer to the people of Kamloops and surrounding areas for generations to come,” said Dr. Kim Chee, executive vice-president and chief medical officer at BC Cancer.
