Ground broken on new cancer centre at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital | NanaimoNewsNOW
Cancer survivor Joanne Falvai was in attendance, and she spoke about having to relocate her family from Qualicum Beach to Victoria for seven weeks while undergoing treatment.
She said it meant being away from those who loved and supported her the most in a time when it was badly needed.
“Cancer can take so much from you. You and your family need all of the love and support and care that you can get, so that you can focus on your health and what you are facing daily. I trust that this centre will provide the same world-class care that I received in Victoria, and I am honoured to be here.”
The facility is expected to include 16 treatment bays, and two rooms for therapy administration, consultation and other needs.
An oncology care unit with 12 rooms is also envisioned, featuring additional consultation rooms and office space for on-site staff.
When fully operational, the site is expected to provide around 20,000 treatments for upwards of 1,600 patients annually, as well as 11,000 patient radiation consults and follow-up appointments.
Chief medical officer and interim executive vice-president at BC Cancer Dr. Paris-Ann Ingledew, said once opened, thousands of people will benefit from the new cancer centre every year once.
“I feel that, truly, by bringing cancer services here, we will change people’s lives. Not patients, people’s lives.”
The new facility was created out of a partnership with BC Cancer (Provincial Health Services Authority) and Island Health to address the critical need for radiation treatment services for Island residents from Nanaimo and north, without having to travel to Victoria or Vancouver.
Along with the addition of radiation therapy and an expanded pharmacy, the new centre will also include an outpatient oncology ambulatory care unit complete with exam and consult rooms, a PET/CT diagnostic scanner, systemic therapy and a sacred space.
Health minister Josie Osborne said this new facility will serve more than just those living close to the hospital.
She said hundreds of thousands of people living north of the Malahat will benefit as a result.
“We know that more people than we ever want to think of are going to face something that is unimaginable for many, and that is a diagnosis of cancer for themselves or a loved one.”
Signs of early construction were finally seen earlier this year as the site was being prepared, with surface-level parking at Boundary Ave. and Nelson St. complete earlier this year.
Associated work includes a new three-storey parkade on the northeast corner of the hospital property, near the Dufferin Cres. and Boundary Ave. intersection, to be completed in 2026, bringing 190 new parking spaces to NRGH.
The project, which will replace significantly smaller cancer care services within NRGH, was originally promised by the BC NDP as part of the 2020 provincial election campaign.
A business case for the project was announced in April 2024, and fundraising efforts began to make it a reality.
NRGH has seen a lot of upgrades recently, including a new 12-bed intensive care unit, which opened in June 2023 after being announced in 2018, and the opening of a new High Acuity Unit in August.
Other long-asked-for needs at NRGH include a new patient tower and cardiac catheterization lab, which Ma said remains a priority as they continue working with Island Health and other local partners about bringing those services to the Nanaimo area.
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