Keep Your Fingers Crossed for News On A Northern Cancer Clinic

Monday, September 19, 2005 04:03 AM

Dr. Bert Kelly, President of the Northern Medical Society

The President of the Northern Medical Society , Dr. Bert Kelly says "I do hope that when the Cancer Control Agency of BC met here last week that they remembered Prince George isn’t Kelowna or Abbotsford, we do things differently in the north."

Kelly went on to say " I do hope that when the Board (Northern Health) meets in Smithers today, they will set the stage for a full fledged Cancer Clinic in this city to serve the people of the north."

The physicians from the Cancer Control Agency met with the Northern Cancer Control Strategy Steering Committee to evaluate future cancer care in the region, including the call for a radiation clinic.

In August, members of the Steering Committee travelled to Thunder Bay where they examined a cancer care centre which services a population base similar to that of Prince George. It was a model Kelly is comfortable could be adapted for P.G.

Last spring, a report by Northern Health and the B.C. Cancer Agency concluded there wasn't enough of a population base to support a radiation therapy clinic. The Northern Medical Society has rejected that study.

Kelly is optimistic "I also hope that following the announcement, (that a clinic will be built) that a clinic is built before the next election." Dr. Kelly says the time has truly come to look after the needs of the region,”We don’t want a watered down clinic, and we want the full meal deal “.

The CCAB met with a group of physicians in Prince Goegre late last week. "I hope we can be as transparent as possible about what is taking place" said Kelly.
Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 04:03 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: spanky on September 19 2005 9:24 AM

Hopefully it will happen Bert. However, I do not believe that Gordi campbell is going to put that type of investment into the "wastelands" of the north.

later..........

Posted by: gypsy on September 19 2005 2:02 PM

And this too shall come to pass.

Posted by: owl on September 19 2005 11:06 PM

Does that mean to say that the best way to get oncologists here is to make sure that there are no facilities for them?

We have an extension of the UBC medical school here. Kelowna does not. The Fraser Valley does not. Victoria does not.

We need new oncologists throughout Canada. BC and Albert have increased the number of medical oncologist trainees.

The synergy associated with a medical faculty in a community and the medical services provided in a community will dictate in which direction graduates may wish to specialize. With a Cancer Clinic here, we could provide the synergy which would promote MD graduates to choose oncology as an option. That is not there in Kelowna, the Fraser Valley and Victoria other than at the internship stage. If undergraduate students have experience in a Cancer Clinic through their clinical years, they are potentially directed to that specialty at a much earlier stage.

The fact that there are insufficient oncologists is one of the arguments for having a Cancer Clinic here, not an argument against it.

Posted by: gypsy on September 20 2005 11:01 AM

Why oh why does that owl keep making so much sense?
Of course we need a Cancer Clinic here.
Don't we have a REGIONAL hospital, drawing patients from many miles away?
Should the Medical facilities in the North
not be capable of Caring for the needs of the residents in the north???
I, for one, would like to see this be the case!
How about you???

Posted by: owl on September 20 2005 12:18 PM

Gypsy ...

The owl also makes mistakes and recognizes them and does not try to hide them ...

I completely forgot, in my haste, that Victoria also has a UBC medical school satellite and that Kelowna will be receiving one.

However, that does not diminish the argument I presented.

In addition, just as there are local, regional and provincial level hospital facilties, it is appropriate to have more than centres of excellence in Vancouver and Edmonton for Cancer treatment. There are many stages of cancer and a tiered system of attack is appropriate and set up right now. This area is appropriate for setting up a centre on a higher level of that tiered system.