A new BC Cancer Centre in Kamloops that will service people in the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap region is under construction, said Interior Health Thursday, July 24.
Being built on the Westlands site of Royal Inland Hospital, the centre should be ready to open in 2028.
While chemotherapy is presently available at Royal Inland’s community oncology network clinic in Kamloops, patients end up travelling to Kelowna or the Lower Mainland for radiation treatment.
At the new centre, radiation treatment will be provided in shielded treatment rooms with three high-energy radiation treatment linear accelerators (LINACS), said Interior Health in a news release.
“Once the cancer centre opens to patients in 2028, it is expected to host 7,500 patient radiation consults and follow-up appointments annually,” noted the release. “In its opening year, the centre is expected to provide approximately 16,500 treatments for up to 1,200 patients. “
Interior Health said the new BC Cancer centre will provide radiation therapy planning including a computerized tomography scan (CT) simulator, plus diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
It will have an outpatient oncology ambulatory care unit, including exam rooms and consult rooms, an interfaith sacred space for for patients, caregivers and staff to recuperate and recharge, staff support, including offices and workstations and 470-stall parkade.
The project also includes expansion and upgrades to Royal Inland’s community oncology clinic and pharmacy.
EllisDon Corporation has been selected to lead construction of the project.
IH said the new facility will be operated by BC Cancer in partnership with Interior Health. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $386 million, shared between the Province and the Thompson Regional Hospital District.
