Editor:
I hoped the the cancer clinic complaints had died out. I was wrong, but I am not wrong about the fact we have had a fine cancer clinic right here in the Royal Inland Hospital for many years.
I should know — 10 years ago I was locally diagnosed with colon cancer and promptly and locally treated. I received a bowel resection and six months of chemo, all done competently, only minutes from my Kamloops home. My oncologist, too, was local, skilled and competent. All my chemo was done here and while it wasn’t much fun, it was performed competently by skillful and compassionate people in a well-equipped clinic.
True, Kamloops lacks radiation treatment, but cancer patients who need it do have access to a free bus sponsored by the Masons. It travels daily between Kamloops and the Kelowna radiation facility. I should know: I spent close to twenty years as a volunteer driver for the program, and in all those years I never heard a single person complain about the service.
Health care is expensive. Radiation facilities are very expensive. So, unless those complaining care to pony up more tax dollars, I’d suggest they just let it go.
At the same time maybe some of you might want to publicly thank the dedicated medical personnel in our own city who provide the excellent care they do to we locals who are unlucky enough to become cancer patients.
Speaking for myself, I certainly admire and respect them. And I’m sure they’ve all heard more than enough complaining.
Howard Neighbor
Kamloops
