B.C. cancer funding ‘good news’ for patients, families
Posted February 27, 2023 6:08 pm.
Last Updated February 27, 2023 9:02 pm.
The B.C. government’s investment into cancer research and infrastructure is being applauded by those in the field.
On Friday, Premier David Eby announced $440 million that will go toward a 10-year cancer action plan, the bulk of which will be spent over the next three years.
The investment is meant to bolster the province’s infrastructure for cancer care, and to attract more researchers and specialists.
Chief Medical Officer for BC Cancer, Dr. Kim Chi, says he’s happy to see a long-term investment into research and care for the disease.
“Demand for cancer care is at it highest ever and it’s going to continue to increase … Our population is increasing, so just sheer numbers. Our population is also aging. We know that cancer increases with age … when we look 10 years from now, the demand for cancer [care] is going to be huge,” he told CityNews.
“This is good news for patients… and families. We know that one in two British Columbians will get cancer in their lifteime. That means directly, or indirectly, everybody is affected by this disease.”
Chi adds that he’s glad to see some of the money go toward attracting specialists to the province with competitive salaries.
“This funding allows us to go out and recruit more doctors and also more oncologists,” he said. “We have not been competitive in the past, so that’ll be attracting new doctors. But it’s not just about salary and positions, we also have to have a good work environment.”
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Chi says a good work environment will be made possible with the development of a multidisciplinary team approach across the board.
“More like team-based care, so that we have other folks that are also helping out with the care team around a patient. Including nurses, nurse practitioners, GP (general practitioner), oncologists, and so on and so forth, so that we raise the quality of care as well as the quantity of care,” he explained.
Overall, Chi believes this cancer action plan is positive news for patients as well as those working in cancer care, primarily in reducing wait times and improving quality of care.
